The virtual conference themed  Asia and Pacific High-level Conference on Belt and Road Cooperation. — Photo from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn on Wednesday attended the Asia and Pacific High-level Conference on Belt and Road Cooperation at the invitation of China State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Sơn called on the international community to continue supporting countries, particularly developing nations, to soon push back the COVID-19 pandemic, shift towards the green and circular economy, and expand trade and investment to promote sustainable and inclusive recovery.

Regional cooperation plays an important role as it helps Asia-Pacific recover and adapt to rapid changes in the global economy, the minister said.

He suggested countries enhance multilateral cooperation, carry forward regional cooperative frameworks and initiatives such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Belt and Road Initiative, step up assistance to developing countries to complete sustainable development goals by 2030, and share experience and technology on green economy.

Sơn highlighted Việt Nam’s pursuant of dual goals, COVID-19 pandemic containment and socio-economic recovery and development, adding the country will also press ahead with international economic integration, and expand and deepen cooperation with countries in Asia-Pacific, for peace, prosperity and sustainable development in the region.

Themed “Promoting Cooperation on Combating the Pandemic for Sustainable Recovery”, the event focused on challenges faced in the region, especially COVID-19 impacts, and efforts to cope with the pandemic and promote economic recovery, towards developing green and circular economy for sustainable and inclusive growth on both regional and national scales.

Participants highlighted the need to enhance the sharing of information and experience in the fight against the pandemic. They expressed support for the global vaccine sharing scheme COVAX Facility and called on development partners and international organisations to continue assisting developing nations in accessing vaccines at reasonable costs.

They called for stepping up cooperation in vaccine research and production technology transfer while encouraging regional and global financial organisations to provide preferential credits for developing countries to effectively cope with the pandemic.

Priorities should be given to the full and on-schedule fulfilment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals till 2030 and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, cooperation in green economic development and environment, sustainable infrastructure development, clean energy, and improvement of the capacity to respond to climate change.

Several opinions agreed that Belt and Road cooperation could positively contribute to the region’s common efforts via connectivity projects, facilitation of trade and investment, vaccine production and supply, green and circular economic development. — VNS