Nguyen Quoc Dung, Deputy Foreign Minister and head of SOM ASEAN of Vietnam, as the Chair of the ASEAN and the ASEAN+3 cooperation framework, chaired an online meeting of ASEAN+3 Senior Officials’ Meeting with China, Japan and the Republic of Korea on July 20.

Dung shared orientations to promoting ASEAN+3 in the near future, highlighting a need to step up regional connectivity, tap achievements in digital technology in regional economic recovery, and improving the regional capacity to response to emerging challenges.

He also made known Vietnam’s proposal to issue an declaration of leaders at the 23rd ASEAN+3 Summit on improving economic-financial resilience amid emerging challenges.

On regional and global issues of shared concern, ASEAN+3 countries shared the importance of maintaining dialogues and cooperation, building trust, upholding international law, forming and sharing the standards of conduct in relations with nations so as to maintain a regional environment of peace and stability for prosperous development.

Participants committed to promoting regional economic linkage and striving to complete the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) as scheduled.

The ASEAN suggested China, Japan and the RoK enhance coordination in the research and production of vaccines against COVID-19, as well as in regional common efforts to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

On the evening the same day, Dung also chaired a meeting of senior officials of 18 countries attending the East Asia Summit.