Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (right) and President Professor Tetsuya Watanabe of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) in Tianjin, China on June 25. — VNA/VNS Photo

TIANJIN — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính proposed the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) to accompany Việt Nam in researching and identifying new growth drivers while receiving its President Professor Tetsuya Watanabe, on the sidelines of the 16th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Tianjin, China, on June 25.

The PM acknowledged ERIA’s contributions to cooperation with Việt Nam over the past years and appreciated the quality of research products recently carried out by the institute and Vietnamese research agencies.

He requested ERIA to maintain close coordination with Vietnamese agencies and research institutes to promote policy research and consultations, and help the country increase productivity, quality, and competitiveness of the economy, especially in digital transformation, green transition, and circular economy, to contribute to achieving the rapid, sustainable development and double-digit economic growth goals it has set out for the coming decades.

The PM also expressed his expectation that the institute will continue to cooperate closely with Việt Nam in researching new contents, ideas, and initiatives for organising the upcoming ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum when Việt Nam hosts the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in 2027.

For his part, Watanabe expressed his deep impression of Việt Nam's vision and determination as reflected in PM Chính's keynote speech at the WEF meeting in Tianjin.

Sharing the Vietnamese leader’s view on the need to seek new growth drivers for Việt Nam, he affirmed his commitment to maintaining close and long-term cooperation with Vietnamese ministries, agencies, and research institutions to propose new ideas and make practical and effective contributions to the country’s development goals.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is at a critical turning point and needs to strengthen its resilience, he said, expressing his hope that Việt Nam will continue to play a leading role in guiding the bloc. He also pledged to maintain close coordination with Việt Nam in implementing initiatives within ASEAN such as the ASEAN Future Forum (AFF).

He took this occasion to invite PM Chính to attend ERIA’s annual high-level policy forum held regularly in Jakarta, Indonesia.

ERIA is a reputable research institute that has maintained close and effective cooperation with Vietnamese agencies in recent years, particularly with the Hồ Chí Minh National Academy of Politics, the Party Central Committee's Commission for Policies and Strategies, and the Diplomatic Academy of Việt Nam under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. — VNA/VNS