Banda Seri Begawan (VNA) – Japan affirmed that ASEANremains a big priority in its foreign policy at the 32nd ASEAN-Japan Forum heldin Banda Seri Begawan, Brunei, on March 1-2.

The event was co-chaired by Brunei DeputyForeign Minister Emaleen and Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Takeo Akiba. TheVietnamese delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung.

The forum reviewed ASEAN-Japan cooperation,emphasising that Japan has become an important partner of the grouping in allspheres. Japan affirmed its support for ASEAN’s central role in an evolving regionalarchitecture. It also welcomed the theme and the six priorities of ASEAN 2017,noting that it is ready to participate in and assist the realisation of thesepriorities, along with activities to mark the 50th founding anniversary ofASEAN.

The two sides also renewed the commitment tocontinuing close cooperation in the fields listed in the Vision Statement on ASEAN-JapanFriendship and Cooperation, including economy, quality of life,people-to-people exchange, and peace and security.

In terms of economy, they agreed to effectivelyimplement the ASEAN-Japan 10-year strategic economic cooperation roadmap(2012-2022), which was updated in 2015, to step up ties in all aspects,especially trade, investment, infrastructure development, manpower training,and micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprise development.

Japan pledged to keep assisting ASEAN to carryout the Initiative for ASEAN Integration and the Master Plan on ASEANConnectivity.

Both sides also expressed advocacy of regionaleconomic connection and trade facilitation processes towards high-quality,equal and transparent free trade agreements.

Regarding cultural and social issues, ASEANappreciated Japan’s assistance and cooperation in climate change response,natural disaster management, environmental protection, improvement of communityhealth care capacity, disease prevention, and people-to-people exchange. Thebloc supports the Japanese Government’s continuation of the Japan-East AsiaNetwork of Exchange for Students and Youths until 2020.

At the forum, ASEAN countries and Japan stressedthe need for cooperation and to bring into play such mechanisms as the ASEANRegional Forum, the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus, the Expanded ASEANMaritime Forum, and the ASEAN-Japan Dialogue so as to combat terrorism,proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, trans-national crimes, andcybercrime, and enhance marine security.

They also voiced concerns about recentdevelopments in the Korean Peninsula and the East Sea situation, underliningthe importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom ofnavigation and aviation in the East Sea, and peacefully resolving disputes onthe basis of international law.

Deputy Minister Dung said Vietnam treasures theASEAN-Japan strategic partnership and welcomes the recent outcomes of bilateralcooperation.

Speaking on behalf of ASEAN, he said the twosides should implement the orientations approved by their leaders throughconcrete cooperation mechanisms, frameworks and projects, including carryingout the ASEAN-Japan 10-year strategic economic cooperation roadmap and amendingthe implementation plan for the Vision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship andCooperation.

Navigation and aviation connectivity betweenASEAN and Japan should be strengthened, he said, elaborating that they need tosoon finalise a bilateral agreement on aviation services. 

They need to cooperate to develop humanresources for the building of a people-oriented and centred ASEAN Community,while paying attention to providing vocational training and career guidance forASEAN youths. They also need to bolster political and security cooperation andrespond to traditional and non-traditional security challenges in a timelyfashion, Dung noted. 

Repeating the stance of Vietnam and other ASEANmembers on the East Sea issue, he stressed the importance of the peacefulsettlement of disputes through complying with international law, including the1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, respecting legal and diplomaticprocesses, not using or threatening to use force, exercising self-restraint,not conducting militarisation activities, effectively implementing theDeclaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, and finalising a Code ofConduct in the waters as soon as possible.

He delivered Vietnam’s wish for ASEAN member countries to step up collaborationin combating trans-national criminals.-VNA