Cambodian Prime Minister Techo Hun Sen delivers a speech at the event. — VNA/VNS Photo

PHNOM PENH — The 54th ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting (AEM 54) and related meetings officially opened in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on Wednesday.

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyễn Hồng Diên led the Vietnamese delegation to the event.

Opening the AEM 54, Cambodian Prime Minister Techo Hun Sen reviewed Cambodia’s engagement in building the common community, especially the ASEAN Economic Community, along with the ASEAN efforts and achievements over the past 30 years, making the association the third largest area in Asia and the sixth in the world in terms of economic scale.

Reviewing common difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, the Cambodian PM underlined that efforts and priorities of the ASEAN Chair in 2022 are to ensure the efficiency of the association in response to relevant challenges and risks, especially in speeding up the economic recovery in a sustainable and comprehensive manner.

The ASEAN should pay more attention to the rules-based trading system, globalisation principles, multilateral mechanism, the liberalisation of trade and investment in the region, as well as anti-protectionism issues, the enhancement of resilience of regional and global supply chains, logistics connection, digital economy building, environmental protection, clean energy, sustainable development, and food security, he said.

The Cambodian leader also reiterated the idea of estabilishing an ASEAN green agreement that he raised at the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting last month in Phnom Penh, asserting that the deal with help the region step by step head to a sustainable future, efficient energy use, strong adaptation and higher economic competitiveness.

The AEM 54 and related meetings will take place until September 18, focusing on regional growth and post-pandemic economic recovery and trade partnership with leading economies. ASEAN economic chiefs will hold discussion with partners, including those from China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, India, the US, Canada and Russia, as well as others in the framework of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the East Asia Summit (EAS)

Earlier, ASEAN senior economic officials gathered from September 11-13. — VNS