ASEAN foreign ministers at the AMM Retreat in Langkawi, Malaysia on Sunday. VNA/VNS Photo

KUALAR LUMPUR – A Vietnamese delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn, attended the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat (AMM Retreat) in Langkawi, Malaysia, on Sunday.

It was the first key event under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2025, which was chaired by Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan and attended by foreign ministers from ASEAN member states, the ASEAN Secretary-General, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste as an observer.

Sơn praised the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s achievements in 2024 under the chairmanship of Laos, calling them a solid foundation for the region to further enhance cooperation in 2025. He also expressed strong support for the theme and priorities proposed by Malaysia, and reaffirmed Việt Nam's commitment to close coordination in performing the outlined tasks and initiatives.

He underlined the importance of maintaining unity within ASEAN and reinforcing the bloc's central role. Highlighting the progress in ASEAN’s external relations, he stressed the need for the region to deepen its partnerships, while expanding mutually beneficial and practical cooperation with new partners.

Việt Nam, in its role as coordinator for ASEAN-New Zealand and ASEAN-UK relations from 2024 to 2027, would continue with active and proactive contributions to relations between the two sides in the coming years, he said.

On the global and regional issues, Sơn expected that the situation in Myanmar would stabilise soon, while also highlighting Việt Nam’s readiness to cooperate with the 2025 ASEAN Chair and Special Envoy in following the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) and decisions on the Myanmar issue reached by ASEAN leaders.

He highlighted the importance of maintaining ASEAN’s unity and principled stance, reaffirming Việt Nam’s commitment to implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and advancing substantive and effective negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), in line with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), aiming to build the East Sea into a sea of peace, cooperation and sustainable development.

On the occasion, Sơn met with Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Bin Haji, during which both sides vowed to continue stepping up the implementation of cooperation agreements already adopted by leaders, develop an action plan to realise the new phase of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and soon hold the 8th meeting of the Việt Nam-Malaysia Joint Committee at the ministerial level to fulfil the commitments.

With priorities on energy transition and digital transformation, Malaysia considered Việt Nam a key partner, said Mohamad Bin Haji, reaffirming the country’s commitment to fostering close bilateral cooperation to achieve concrete and substantial results.

On the sidelines of the AMM Retreat, Sơn held a meeting with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Sunday during which both officials expressed satisfaction with the robust development of the Việt Nam-Singapore Strategic Partnership, marked by substantive and effective advancements across various areas. Key strategic sectors such as economic connectivity, education, finance, and digital transformation have significantly elevated the relationship in the new phase of development.

Deputy PM Bùi Thanh Sơn held a meeting with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. VNA/VNS Photo

The two sides agreed to closely coordinate preparations for upcoming high-level visits to ensure their practical and effective outcomes. They underscored the importance of engaging relevant Vietnamese and Singaporean ministries and agencies to actively implement the outcomes of previous high-level visits, particularly regarding the two countries’ green economy-digital economy partnership and economic connectivity agreement. These initiatives aim to drive tangible progress in areas such as digital transformation, innovation, energy connectivity, and data centre development.

The officials committed to continuing close cooperation in other key areas, including security and defence, and high-quality human resources development. They affirmed mutual support for each country's candidacies in international organisations.

Additionally, both sides pledged to collaborate and support Malaysia in successfully chairing ASEAN in 2025. They discussed measures to strengthen the bloc’s solidarity and sustainable development, with a focus on advancing regional power grid connectivity. VNS