Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has underlined ASEAN’s commitment to promoting and elevating its strategic partnership and comprehensive co-operation with Japan for peace, stability and prosperity in the region. — VNA/VNS Photo

SINGAPORE — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has underlined ASEAN’s commitment to promoting and elevating its strategic partnership and comprehensive co-operation with Japan for peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

As the leader for ASEAN-Japan relations, the PM was addressing the 21st ASEAN-Japan Summit and the celebration of 45 years of ties between ASEAN and Japan in Singapore on Wednesday within the framework of the 33rd ASEAN Summit.

He said the ASEAN-Japan strategic partnership and comprehensive co-operation had made good progress in the fields of maritime security, anti-terrorism and transnational crime, cyber security, nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, law enforcement training and defence.

Japan was the fourth biggest trade partner and second largest investor in ASEAN, as well as the leading ODA provider for many ASEAN member countries, he noted.

ASEAN highly valued the support of the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund in healthcare, environment protection, natural disaster control, climate change, science-technology and innovation, as well as in connection through the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 and the ASEAN Plan of Action on narrowing the development gap, and Mekong-Subregion development.

Sharing PM Phúc’s opinion, other ASEAN countries agreed to promote the co-operation between the two sides and welcomed Japan’s active and responsible role in the region, while co-ordinating with ASEAN at forums chaired by the group, and contributing to promoting dialogue, building trust and strengthening co-operation on the basis of mutual benefit and respect.

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe agreed to foster comprehensive collaboration with ASEAN and support the association’s central role as well as efforts in enhancing regional cooperation and connectivity.

He briefed participants on the plan to hold the ASEAN-Japan Day in Việt Nam in 2019 to strengthen mutual understanding between both peoples.

He also introduced initiatives such as a fund from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to support infrastructure co-operation in the region, high quality human resources development, exploiting opportunities from the Fourth Industrial Revolution, preventing ocean plastic waste, responding to natural disasters and climate change, and providing healthcare services.

PM Phúc recognised the ideas laid out by Japan, highlighting ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea issue, and said he hoped that Japan would continue supporting ASEAN’s efforts to strengthen dialogue and trust, creating a favourable environment for Code of Conduct negotiations.

He also hailed Japan’s initiatives to promote connectivity between the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, pledging that Việt Nam would do its utmost to accelerate ASEAN-Japan ties. — VNS