Attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit Week in 2023, Vietnam emphasized the important role of APEC, proposed many initiatives to contribute to promoting peace, stability, and cooperation in the region and the world, as well as maintaining APEC's role as the leading economic linkage mechanism in the Asia-Pacific.
This is also an opportunity for Vietnam to reaffirm its consistent views and policies on the development process. Discussions and bilateral meetings between the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation and representatives of international organizations and economies around the world create more momentum for cooperation; affirming that Vietnam continues to strongly implement the policy of the 13th National Party Congress on proactively and actively integrating comprehensively and deeply into the world, promoting multilateral diplomacy, contributing to promoting peace, cooperation, economic linkages and regional connectivity.
APEC on a new journey
Since its establishment in 1989, APEC has continued to affirm itself as the leading regional economic integration mechanism, initiating and taking the lead in promoting the trend of economic, trade and investment liberalization in the region and the world, making important contributions to economic growth and maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the Asia- Pacific region.
With 21 current member economies, including the world's leading economies such as the United States, China, Japan..., and 9 members of the Group of 20 leading developed and emerging economies (G20) and Compared to many other dynamic developing economies, APEC represents about 38% of the world's population, contributes 62% of GDP and nearly 50% of global trade.
Operating on the principles of consensus, voluntariness and non-binding, APEC promotes cooperation focusing on three main pillars, including trade and investment liberalization; business facilitation; economic-technical cooperation, capacity building, and equitable and sustainable development.
The 2023 APEC Summit takes place in a special context. This is an opportunity to look back on 30 years since the first Summit in the United States in 1993, APEC's journey to becoming a leading regional mechanism for international connectivity and cooperation. This is also a time when the world and the region are experiencing many fluctuations, facing many new challenges in terms of economy, politics, society, and environment; members have made important policy adjustments towards green growth, digital transformation, and enhancing self-reliance.
President Vo Van Thuong attends a group photo session with APEC Economic Leaders in San Francisco, the United States, on the morning of November 16, 2023 (local time). Photo: VNA
Not only that, in the face of profound changes in the world, this is also the time for APEC to affirm its role and mission in the new period, clearly defining its core values and priorities.
One of the most anticipated events is the 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting taking place in San Francisco, USA, with the participation of leaders and Heads of Delegation of 21 APEC member economies, along with many guests.
With the theme “Connecting and Building Inclusive and Resilient Economies”, the Conference highly appreciated APEC’s important contributions to promoting global economic growth over the past decades; affirmed that APEC needs to continue to be a key driver for economic growth in a world facing many risks. APEC needs to promote the achievements and lessons of the past three decades, continue to promote the implementation of the APEC Vision 2040 on an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community for the prosperity of the people and future generations.
On trade, investment and connectivity, Leaders committed to promoting a free, open, transparent and inclusive trade and investment environment, maintaining open markets and addressing supply chain disruptions. APEC continues to support the rules-based multilateral trading system with the central role of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
President Vo Van Thuong attends a group photo session with APEC economic leaders. Photo: VNA
The conference emphasized the importance of building a non-discriminatory digital ecosystem for businesses and consumers; agreed to accelerate the implementation of the APEC Internet Economy/Digital Economy Roadmap, especially in the areas of data security, cloud computing, telecommunications networks, e-commerce and promoting an innovative environment.
Determined to promote the agenda of sustainable and inclusive development, the Conference agreed to reduce and eventually eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, accelerate the clean energy transition to achieve the global goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero.
The conference adopted major principles on equitable energy transition and food security in APEC cooperation, the Framework and Action Plan on Disaster Risk Reduction; agreed to accelerate the implementation of the Circular Bio-Green Economy Model; and integrate sustainability and inclusiveness into APEC activities.
The Leaders agreed that more efforts are needed to improve people's quality of life; expand access to health and education services, promote gender equality, and empower women, ethnic minorities, and rural and remote communities.
Speaking at the Conference, President Vo Van Thuong emphasized that APEC is the leading regional cooperation and connectivity forum, bringing practical benefits to the people.
From the success of APEC, three lessons can be drawn for the future: first, the openness and goodwill of all parties to understand and overcome differences, find common ground and promote common interests; second, the vision and strategic thinking of generations of leaders have positioned the right role of Asia-Pacific and APEC; and third, the support and companionship of the business community and people. - President Vo Van Thuong
President Vo Van Thuong attends the APEC Economic Leaders' Retreat. Photo: VNA
Regarding APEC's operational direction, the President emphasized:
First , maintain and consolidate important achievements in trade and investment liberalization and facilitation in the Asia-Pacific and globally.
Second , create a cooperation framework to support member economies to take advantage of development opportunities and promote growth momentum. APEC needs to focus on improving capacity, autonomy, creativity and application of science and technology, while building infrastructure, developing human resources, and digital and green transformation models.
Third , cooperation to build a resilient region, each economy is resilient, ready to respond to challenges. The President also made it clear that more than ever, APEC members need to be open, sincere, and have constructive dialogue to increase understanding, narrow differences, and create consensus.
More than ever, APEC members need to be open, sincere, and engage in constructive dialogue to increase understanding, narrow differences, and create consensus. - President Vo Van Thuong
The President emphasized that after exactly 25 years of joining APEC, with the desire to continue contributing to the APEC process, Vietnam proposed to host the activities of APEC Year 2027. APEC Leaders highly appreciated and strongly supported Vietnam's proposal and agreed to include it in the Joint Statement of the Conference.
At the end of the Summit, the Leaders unanimously adopted the Golden Gate Declaration “Creating a Sustainable and Resilient Future for All People”, affirming APEC’s leadership role as well as its position as a leading forum for economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. The Leaders agreed to meet at the APEC Summit in 2024 in Peru and in 2025 in the Republic of Korea.
THE 2023 APEC SUMMIT HAS ACHIEVED IMPORTANT RESULTS IN THREE ASPECTS:
First , APEC Leaders reaffirmed that promoting free and open trade and investment is an important task and a top priority of the Forum. Leaders agreed to continue promoting economic integration and regional connectivity; support the multilateral trading system based on rules; maintain open markets, resolve disruptions and build resilient open supply chains. However, Leaders also said that a new, more comprehensive, balanced and harmonious approach is needed.
Second , the Conference is an important step forward, built on the results of cooperation over the past years, especially since APEC 2017 in Vietnam, in affirming that sustainable and inclusive growth has become a pillar of APEC cooperation.
The conference affirmed APEC's leading role in promoting an inclusive and sustainable agenda in the region. Leaders devoted a session to discussing the impact of climate change on the region and each economy; as well as adopting the Principles Guiding a Just Energy Transition. The conference agreed on a common direction to support countries in digital transformation, ensuring food security, and integrating inclusiveness and sustainability into trade and investment policies.
Third , on the occasion of the Conference, a series of activities took place with the participation of thousands of businesses in the Asia-Pacific region under the theme "Creating economic opportunities. Inclusive. Resilient. Innovative". These activities helped strengthen the support and companionship of the business community in implementing APEC's goals and vision for an open, dynamic, peaceful and resilient Asia-Pacific community.
Finally, the Conference is an important occasion for Leaders to meet and discuss to seek solutions to bilateral and multilateral issues.
During the APEC Summit Week, the Leaders' Meeting on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) for Prosperity took place. This activity marked an important step forward for the initiative after a year and a half of discussion and negotiation among 14 countries. The Leaders issued a statement affirming the goal of building IPEF into an open, inclusive, flexible, long-term and dynamic forum to promote common interests, contributing to ensuring a peaceful, stable, developed and prosperous future for all people.
- Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son
President Vo Van Thuong attends the Informal Dialogue and working lunch between APEC Leaders and guests. Photo: VNA
Previously, from November 14 to 16, at the Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco, USA, the APEC Business Summit 2023 took place, attracting nearly 2,000 leaders of leading businesses in the world and the Asia-Pacific region, international organizations, research institutes and universities in the region.
President Vo Van Thuong delivered an important speech , addressing three topics: Issues facing the world economy and the need for new thinking and new approaches; How APEC can contribute to solving current challenges in the world economy; Vietnam's viewpoints and development orientations in a changing world.
President Vo Van Thuong stated that the world economy currently has major contradictions: The economy is growing, wealth is increasing, but the gap between rich and poor is widening and environmental destruction is becoming more serious; After more than three decades of the world benefiting from globalization and forming a network of international economic relations with intertwined interests and interdependence, the trend of protectionism and separation is increasing strongly; Science and technology are developing rapidly, with global influence, but the institutional framework is still basically limited to the national level; Science and technology bring great development opportunities but also contain unpredictable dangers; We pursue a growth model that encourages consumption, even over-consumption, but cannot mobilize enough resources for the Sustainable Development Goals.
To fundamentally resolve the above conflicts and continue pursuing the noble goals set, the President emphasized that the world needs a new, inclusive, harmonious and humane mindset.
According to President Vo Van Thuong, today, when the global economy is facing a new wave of protectionism, challenges from climate change, social inequality, geopolitical conflicts, APEC is the place for us to seek and test new ideas and solutions. President Vo Van Thuong believes that APEC will continue to play an important role on the new journey.
President Vo Van Thuong speaks at the APEC Business Summit. Photo: VNA
The business community has always been an important part of the APEC process, actively contributing to policy formulation and implementation as well as promoting new ideas and new thinking. - President Vo Van Thuong
President Vo Van Thuong affirmed that maintaining sustainable economic growth along with implementing progress, social justice and protecting the ecological environment, ensuring that all people can develop their potential, participate and equally enjoy the fruits of development is a consistent requirement in Vietnam's development process. Economic growth coupled with implementing progress and social justice must be carried out immediately in every step, every policy and throughout the development process; not "sacrificing" progress and social justice and the environment to pursue pure economic growth.
With that viewpoint, according to President Vo Van Thuong, Vietnam is synchronously implementing three main groups of solutions:
Firstly , building an independent and self-reliant economy associated with active and proactive international integration; taking internal strength as the fundamental, strategic and decisive factor, and external strength as the important and breakthrough factor.
Second , strengthen the management and efficient use of resources; protect the environment and respond to climate change; promote green transformation towards global climate goals and commitments .
Third , create an environment that encourages the poor and disadvantaged to strive, rise up on their own, integrate into the community, and eliminate discrimination in society .
President Vo Van Thuong signs a souvenir poster at the APEC Business Summit. Photo: VNA
With these efforts, Vietnam is considered one of seven middle-income countries that have made great progress in innovation over the past decade ; one of three countries with outstanding achievements compared to their development level for 13 consecutive years.
Along with maintaining macroeconomic stability and ensuring major economic balances, Vietnam attaches great importance to promoting international trade and investment cooperation.
Vietnam has signed more than 90 trade agreements and 60 bilateral investment promotion and protection agreements; is a member of 16 Free Trade Agreements with the participation of about 60 economies. Vietnam has continuously been in the group of 30 countries and territories with the largest import and export value of goods and the top 10 FDI attractions in recent years .
In parallel with perfecting mechanisms, policies and laws to promote the development of green economy, low-carbon economy and circular economy, Vietnam is also researching to add more tools to support businesses in digital transformation, green transformation, especially the application of new technologies, access to green financial resources and human resource training. The establishment of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) between Vietnam and a group of international partners will also make an important contribution to realizing Vietnam's commitment at the COP26 Conference to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
People are the target and subject of development, all policies and future planning must aim at the happiness of the people. Vietnam is implementing three National Target Programs on sustainable poverty reduction; new rural construction and socio-economic development in ethnic minority areas, focusing on improving the quality of human resources through developing an equal, inclusive and comprehensive education and training system and vocational education; at the same time creating conditions for the young workforce to access science and technology.
To achieve the set development goals, in addition to our own efforts, Vietnam hopes that you will continue to accompany Vietnam in consulting, proposing new investment policies and ideas; transferring modern solutions, technologies, new economic models; and attracting investment capital and supporting development. - President Vo Van Thuong
Vietnam's outstanding contribution is the ideas and proposals of President Vo Van Thuong to respond to urgent issues of the world economy, especially the requirement for a new, inclusive, harmonious and humane mindset. The President also made specific proposals for APEC's mission and tasks in the new period to adapt and continue to succeed. That is to maintain and consolidate important achievements in liberalization and trade and investment facilitation in Asia-Pacific and globally. That is to cooperate to build a self-reliant region, each self-reliant economy, ready to respond to challenges. That is to create a cooperation framework to support member economies to take advantage of development opportunities and promote growth momentum.
– Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son
Vietnam-US relations gain momentum
During the working trip, President Vo Van Thuong had meetings and discussions with US President Joe Biden, US President's Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry; Governor of California, Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles; received a number of leading US businesses, such as Boeing, Apple, spoke at the US Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), attended and gave a speech at the Roundtable on connecting Vietnamese localities and US businesses in high technology; visited Stanford University Medical Hospital...
Receiving US President's Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry, the President appreciated the two sides' active implementation of high-level agreements reached during President Joe Biden's visit to Vietnam, developing increasingly substantive, in-depth and stable relations. The President welcomed the US to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam, especially in the areas that Special Envoy John Kerry has recently been interested in promoting, such as climate change response and energy transition.
The President highly appreciated the efforts of US President Joe Biden and Special Envoy John Kerry to raise awareness and action to respond to climate change. The President affirmed that Vietnam wishes to cooperate with the US in these areas, in accordance with Vietnam's socio-economic conditions and to meet the interests and concerns of the people of the two countries.
The President stressed that energy transition must ensure the principle of fairness. Vietnam is continuing to implement comprehensive and drastic measures to promote green growth and respond to climate change, including the approval of the National Power Development Plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, focusing on the transition from fossil fuels to renewable and new energy, towards zero net emissions by 2050. The President welcomed Special Envoy Kerry's recommendations and hoped that the US side would continue to facilitate the implementation of projects supporting energy transition, maximizing Vietnam's renewable energy potential, and contributing to ensuring long-term energy security.
President Vo Van Thuong receives US President's Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry. Photo: VNA
Special Envoy John Kerry affirmed that the United States consistently values its relationship with Vietnam and supports Vietnam in playing a proactive and substantive role in the region. He affirmed that the United States will continue to support Vietnam in improving its capacity to adapt to climate change, control pollution, sustainably manage resources, support the exploitation and use of available resources in an environmentally friendly manner and at reasonable costs to reduce dependence on imported fuel sources; and support the improvement of management capacity in the environmental field, suitable for Vietnam.
Mr. Kerry appreciated that immediately after adopting the Political Declaration establishing the JETP, Vietnam is urgently discussing with international partners to soon complete the Resource Mobilization Plan (RMP) to implement the Declaration's contents in the next 3 to 5 years at least. Mr. Kerry also emphasized that the United States is ready to deploy high-level cooperation with Vietnam to promote the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) to achieve positive results.
Also within the framework of the working trip, President Vo Van Thuong attended a policy exchange at the US Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). CFR President Michael Froman emphasized the impressive development of Vietnam's economy, especially the increasingly important role of Vietnam-US economic cooperation as bilateral trade in goods increased to 139 billion USD - more than 300 times higher than in 1995.
Appreciating Vietnam's role in the region, Mr. Michael Froman said that economic initiatives in the region have also been enhanced thanks to Vietnam's participation. Referring to the two countries upgrading their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership; at the same time, strengthening cooperation in developing the semiconductor supply chain, infrastructure, digital, science and technology, combating climate change, people-to-people exchange, and overcoming the consequences of war, Mr. Michael Froman said that these are strong signals promoting bilateral relations.
President Vo Van Thuong stated that after nearly 40 years of Doi Moi, for the goal of “rich people, strong country, democracy, equality, and civilization”, Vietnam has achieved many great and historic achievements. The economy has developed rapidly; it is currently the 11th largest economy in Asia, one of the 40 largest economies in the world, among the 30 countries and territories with large international trade, and among the three countries attracting the largest foreign investment in ASEAN in the past 10 years. As a member of 16 free trade agreements, Vietnam has become part of the global supply and production chain.
The President emphasized that in the process of innovation, the people are placed at the center, as the source of strength, both the subject and the goal of development. To realize the aspiration of becoming a developed, high-income country by the middle of this century, Vietnam focuses on rapid and sustainable development, on the basis of applying science and technology and innovation, while developing culture, society, and protecting the environment; building and perfecting a rule-of-law state of the people, by the people, for the people, strong, streamlined, and effective; actively integrating comprehensively and deeply into the international community...
The President assessed that the relationship between Vietnam and the United States has never been as good as it is today; from former enemies to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This is truly a model in the history of international relations in healing and building post-war relations. This result is due to the joint efforts of many generations of leaders and people of the two countries to overcome historical challenges and ups and downs.
The President stated: “Vietnam’s motto in US relations is to put the past behind us, overcome differences, promote similarities, and look to the future. We emphasize that mutual understanding, mutual circumstances, mutual trust, respect for each other’s legitimate interests, and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs are always important. US leaders have affirmed their support for a strong, independent, self-reliant, and prosperous Vietnam. We consider the US a partner of strategic importance in our foreign policy.”
Never before has the relationship between Vietnam and the United States developed as well as it does today. This result is due to the joint efforts of many generations of leaders and people of the two countries to overcome historical challenges and ups and downs. - President Vo Van Thuong
In an exchange with CFR scholars, answering questions about the agreement to enhance cooperation between Vietnam and the United States in developing semiconductor production, the President stated that Vietnam hopes that the Joint Statement on upgrading the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will be fully implemented, including the issue of cooperation in semiconductor, chip and high-tech production. However, to effectively resolve this issue, the President suggested that the United States pay attention to recognizing the market economy mechanism for Vietnam. And this needs to be done through political decisions; it should not be rigidly regulated. Along with that, the United States needs to soon remove the classification of Vietnam in the group of countries with limited support for cooperation in chips and semiconductors. Vietnam also hopes that the United States will support the training of high-quality human resources on this issue.
Answering a reporter's question about the role of Vietnamese Americans in promoting cooperation between the two countries, the President emphasized that, in the Party's and State's guidelines, Vietnam always considers overseas Vietnamese, including Vietnamese in the United States, as an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation. In the past 40 years of renovation, Vietnam has achieved great and historic achievements, including contributions from overseas Vietnamese in the United States as well as Vietnamese in other countries around the world. The President hopes that Vietnamese in the United States will increasingly affirm their position in the socio-economic life of the United States. Vietnam always welcomes Vietnamese American businesses to invest in Vietnam.
In the past 40 years of innovation, Vietnam has achieved great and historic achievements, including contributions from overseas Vietnamese in the United States as well as Vietnamese people in other countries around the world. – President Vo Van Thuong
Regarding Vietnam's difficulties in responding to climate change, the President emphasized that as one of the countries heavily affected by climate change, Vietnam has made efforts and proactively implemented many response measures. However, this is also an issue in which Vietnam needs support and assistance in terms of political determination, through specific actions from the international community. The President thanked and hoped that the US Government would continue to pay attention and support Vietnam in this important field.
Also during the working trip, the President visited an overseas Vietnamese family and met with leaders and officials of our diplomatic missions in the United States. The President's speech on the world situation, Vietnam's foreign policy and Vietnam-US relations at the CFR was highly appreciated by people in the United States.
Through the meetings, the two sides agreed to continue to implement the results of the agreement between the two countries' senior leaders during President Biden's recent State visit to Vietnam at the invitation of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and the Joint Statement on upgrading Vietnam-US relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership; focusing on economics, trade and investment, in which the US will soon grant market economy status to Vietnam; considering science, technology and innovation as breakthrough areas of cooperation, continuing cooperation in education and training, focusing on training high-quality human resources, and cooperation in responding to climate change.
US businesses continue to show great interest in the Vietnamese market; affirming to continue expanding investment and business in Vietnam, especially in the fields of high technology, infrastructure, energy; ready to support Vietnam in training a highly skilled workforce, serving digital transformation, green transformation...
– Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son
Strengthening Vietnam-other countries relations
During his working trip to the United States, President Vo Van Thuong had many meetings with leaders of other countries. At the meetings, leaders of other countries highly appreciated the position and role of Vietnam, agreed to increase delegation exchanges, promote political-diplomatic cooperation, economic-trade, science-technology, education and training, connect localities of Vietnam and other countries, people-to-people exchanges as well as support each other at regional and international forums.
President Vo Van Thuong also had talks with General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping, President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol, Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida... to continue promoting and deepening relations with partners and discuss issues of mutual concern.
Receiving Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, President Vo Van Thuong affirmed that Vietnam attaches great importance to the multifaceted cooperation with Malaysia, Vietnam's leading important partner in ASEAN. The President proposed that the two sides implement the results of the 7th Joint Committee meeting, promptly complete negotiations and sign agreements to create a foundation and framework for deeper cooperation between the two countries in various fields. The President hoped that the two sides would coordinate to promote trade and investment, striving to reach a turnover of 18 billion USD in the coming time; and hoped that the Malaysian Government would pay attention to supporting Vietnamese enterprises to produce and export Halal products to the Malaysian market.
The President thanked and hoped that Malaysia would expand its support for Vietnam in the field of personnel training and local cooperation, first of all by signing a sister city agreement between Hoi An and Melaka. The President asked Malaysia to create conditions for Vietnam to lobby the European Union (EU) to remove the yellow card for Vietnam's fisheries sector; and suggested that the two countries continue to coordinate effectively in the repatriation of Vietnamese fishermen.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim affirmed that Malaysia attaches special importance to the multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam. The Prime Minister expressed his impression of Vietnam's socio-economic development achievements in recent times and affirmed his desire to promote cooperation with Vietnam in economics, trade, investment, and enhance cooperation in human resource training.
The two sides affirmed that they will continue to coordinate closely at regional and international forums; strive to maintain ASEAN's solidarity and central role, contribute to building a strong, united and self-reliant ASEAN Community, and support Laos in completing its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024.
Discussing issues of mutual concern, including the East Sea, the two leaders agreed to support maintaining a common viewpoint on ensuring peace and stability, seriously implementing the DOC, and aiming to achieve a substantive and effective COC in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Meeting with Brunei Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, President Vo Van Thuong said that the two countries still have much potential and room to deepen their cooperation in a more practical way. The President suggested that the two countries closely coordinate and effectively implement the Action Program to implement the Vietnam-Brunei Comprehensive Partnership 2023-2027 with priority areas including cooperation in oil and gas, chemicals, Halal product production, tourism, and people-to-people exchange.
Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah emphasized that Brunei truly values multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam and in that spirit, agrees with proposals to strengthen bilateral relations in the coming time.
The two sides affirmed that they will continue to coordinate closely at regional and international forums, strive to maintain solidarity and promote ASEAN's central role, contributing to building a strong, united and self-reliant ASEAN Community. The two leaders also discussed international and regional issues of mutual concern, including the East Sea issue.
Meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President Vo Van Thuong and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assessed that the Vietnam-Canada Comprehensive Partnership continues to develop, especially the two-way trade turnover has increased sharply in recent times (reaching more than 7 billion USD in 2022). Vietnam is Canada's largest trading partner in ASEAN and Canada is Vietnam's second largest trading partner in the Americas.
The President suggested that the two sides maintain the exchange of delegations at all levels, enhance cooperation between localities, and maintain existing dialogue mechanisms on politics-diplomacy, national defense-security, and economy-trade. The President asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Canadian Government to continue creating favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community living and working in Canada, while Canada continues to support Vietnam to participate more actively and effectively in the field of peacekeeping.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his impression of Vietnam’s economic growth rate; affirming that in the context of many challenges, Canada will continue to prioritize promoting relations with Vietnam, especially in the fields of politics-diplomacy, economics-trade, education-training, defense-security and people-to-people exchange.
President Vo Van Thuong and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Photo: VNA
The two leaders discussed a number of international and regional issues of mutual concern, including the East Sea issue. Both sides affirmed that they will continue to strengthen cooperation and support each other at multilateral forums, including the United Nations and APEC, and promote the role of international law.
Meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, President Vo Van Thuong congratulated Australia on its recent socio-economic achievements and highly appreciated the success of the visit to Vietnam by Governor-General David Hurley and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese this year, on the occasion of the two countries celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The President thanked the Australian Government for always providing Vietnam with a stable source of ODA, including infrastructure projects of symbolic significance in the Mekong Delta, as well as supporting Vietnam in implementing UN peacekeeping missions.
Prime Minister Albanese affirmed that Australia highly values its relationship with Vietnam and hopes that the relationship will continue to develop to new heights, commensurate with the potential of both sides, and pledged to continue prioritizing ODA and cooperation with Vietnam in the fields of digital transformation, green economy and climate change response.
The President suggested that the two sides continue to increase the exchange of delegations at all levels, promote more effectively cooperation mechanisms, enhance cooperation in the fields of trade-investment, defense-security, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchange through increasing the number of flights between the two countries, creating favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Australia to integrate and contribute better to the host country and bilateral relations.
The two leaders also agreed to continue supporting each other at regional and international forums including the United Nations, ASEAN, APEC, as well as sharing many views and assessments on regional and international issues, including the East Sea issue and cooperation in the Mekong Sub-region.
Meeting with Peruvian President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra, President Vo Van Thuong affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to relations with Peru and the Latin American region, and always remembers the sentiments and support of the Peruvian people for Vietnam in the past struggle to protect the country and in the present struggle to build the country.
The President thanked and appreciated the cooperation and support of the Peruvian Government over the years for Vietnam's telecommunications and oil and gas projects, including the Bitel telecommunications project of the Military Industry-Telecoms Group (Viettel), and hoped that the Peruvian Government would continue to pay attention and create favorable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to expand their markets and do business in Peru.
Peruvian President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra emphasized that Vietnam is a country that has created a lot of sympathy for the Peruvian people, a symbolic country that has gone from poverty and war to prosperity, an important partner of Peru in the Southeast Asian region; said that the two sides need to promote economic and trade cooperation commensurate with the increasingly good political and diplomatic relations. President Zegarra highly appreciated Vietnam's cooperation projects that have brought practical benefits to the two countries and said that the Peruvian Government always welcomes and creates favorable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to operate in this country.
To strengthen relations and exchanges between the two countries, President Zegarra suggested that Vietnam consider opening an embassy in the capital Lima and sign a visa exemption agreement for citizens of the two countries.
Acknowledging and welcoming the proposal of the President of Peru, President Vo Van Thuong further emphasized the need to increase contacts and exchanges of high-level delegations and all levels between the two countries, effectively promote bilateral cooperation mechanisms, especially in the fields of economics, trade and investment, enhance coordination to effectively exploit the CPTPP Agreement, and promptly initiate negotiations on the Investment Protection Agreement and the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement to facilitate economic and investment cooperation.
On this occasion, the President congratulated Peru on taking on the role of host of APEC 2024 Summit Week, affirming that he will closely coordinate with Peru towards the success of APEC 2024 in Peru.
Directed by: CHU HONG THANG - PHAM TRUONG SON Content: NINH SON - THANH THE Presented by: HOA ANNhandan.vn
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