Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung, head of the ASEAN SOM Vietnam, attended an ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (ASEAN SOM), which took place virtually on September 30, to review preparations for the upcoming 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits.

The preparations included a draft working programme and a draft agenda for the summits, and draft documents to be submitted to senior leaders. The summits are scheduled for October 26-28 in virtual form.

Discussing ASEAN's priorities in 2021, participating delegates affirmed their support for the Chair Brunei’s initiatives on strengthening ASEAN's synergy in response to natural disasters (the ASEAN SHIELD initiative); and on promoting multilateralism and blue sea economic cooperation.

The meeting adopted the ASEAN standard document on responding to nuclear and radiological emergencies, which participants considered an important contribution to the ASEAN SHIELD.

Participants discussed and acknowledgedthe progress in implementing the outcomes of ASEAN 2020, including theconduction of the ASEAN Charter, and the building of the post-2025 ASEANCommunity vision, and sub-regional cooperation.

They welcomed Vietnam's plan to organisethe ASEAN high-level forum on sub-regional cooperation towards sustainabledevelopment and inclusive growth on November 30. The senior officials affirmedthat sub-regional cooperation makes an important contribution to efforts to narrow the development gap and promote sustainable development, and to theprocess of building the ASEAN Community.

Speaking at the event, Dung lauded Chair Brunei's efforts to sustain and manage ASEAN activities amid the currentdifficult period and reiterated support for the nation’s initiatives.

He thanked member nations’ support forVietnam’s hosting of the November 30 forum and hoped they will further makingcontribution to the important forum.

The Vietnamese official welcomed andhighly appreciated the efforts made by the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair forMyanmar and the Secretary General of ASEAN in the role of coordinator for thebloc’s humanitarian assistance to Myanmar.

He affirmed that Vietnam will continueto work closely with other countries and back the efforts of the ASEAN Chair2021 in promoting the effective implementation of the five-point consensus onMyanmar.

Facing therapid movements of international and regional situations, Dung especially emphasised theimportance of maintaining ASEAN's solidarity, unity and centrality, promoting the bloc’s common voice in international affairs related to peace, security andstability in the region;and ensuring a balanced approach in ASEAN's relations with its partners./.