Ambassador Vu Ho, acting head of Vietnam ASEAN SOM (Photo: baoquocte.vn)

Ambassador Vu Ho, acting head of Vietnam ASEAN SOM, attended the 29^th ASEAN-New Zealand Dialogue which was held virtually on April 7.

The Vietnamese Ambassador underscored that people are central to the efforts being made in the COVID-19 fight and recovery towards sustainable development.

He said ASEAN and New Zealand should continue to give high priority to COVID-19 response coordination, and guarantee vaccine and medicine access.

The diplomat took the occasion to thank New Zealand for its support for Viet Nam’s efforts in the fight against COVID-19 and post-pandemic recovery.

He urged the two sides to promote collaboration in education, which is a key cooperation field between ASEAN and New Zealand; and expressed his hope they will maintain current cooperation activities, with New Zealand helping ASEAN build high-quality human resources.

As the chair of ASEAN Education for 2022 – 2023, Viet Nam stands ready to join hands with New Zealand and other regional nations to improve self-reliance in the regional education system and take the initiative in coping with future challenges.

He also called on countries to bolster dialogue, cooperation, trust building and the rule of law for an environment of peace, security, stability conducive for recovery and sustainable development.

Mark Sinclair, head of New Zealand’s SOM, highlighted the long-standing relations of nearly five decades between New Zealand and ASEAN, reaffirming support for ASEAN’s central role, multilateralism and cooperation via ASEAN-led mechanisms in the region.

New Zealand is making efforts to gradually open its borders and hopes to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN in fighting the pandemic, stepping up economic recovery, as well as improving the region’s self-reliance against outbreaks in the future and effectively responding to emerging challenges and uncertainties.

ASEAN member countries highly value New Zealand as one of the bloc’s important strategic partners with outstanding contributions to the building of the ASEAN Community.

In the 2020-22 period, New Zealand presented 31 million NZD (21.37 million USD) to help ASEAN fight COVID-19, and committed another 224 million NZD for ASEAN nations’ development from 2021-24.

Hailing positive progress in bilateral cooperation despite the adverse impacts of COVID-19, ASEAN and New Zealand agreed to continue working together for the effective implementation of the ASEAN-New Zealand Plan of Action for 2021-25, and giving priorities to COVID-19 response and economic, trade and investment cooperation, including conclusion of negotiations to upgrade the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA), and acceleration of the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in a consistent and effective manner, resulting in economic and trade benefits for people and businesses of those countries.

Both sides agreed to boost cooperation in counter-terrorism and transnational criminals, education-training, high-quality human resources development, disaster management, environmental protection, climate change, narrowing the development gap, and sub-regional development, including the Mekong subregion.

The New Zealand side also called for prompt completion of the ASEAN-New Zealand air services agreement.

The two sides underlined the need to step up coordination to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region, particularly maritime security and safety in the East Sea.

New Zealand emphasised its support for ASEAN’s principal stance on the East Sea issue and backed the grouping to uphold its role in promoting dialogue and trust building, ensuring the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and finalising an efficient and substantive Code of Conduct in the waters that matches international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Regarding the situation in Myanmar, participating countries called for self-restraint, reduced tensions and violence, while ensuring safety for civilians and upholding a sense of responsibility and implementing ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus.

They appreciated the efforts made by the Chair of ASEAN to help stabilise the situation in Myanmar and seek sustainable solutions to current issues.

On the conflict in Ukraine, the countries emphasised that disputes and disagreements must be resolved via peaceful measures in accordance with the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law. All sides need to exert restraint, maintain efforts to hold dialogues seeking long-term solutions in line with international law and the legitimate interests of parties involved, and roll out measures to ensure safety for civilians.

At the event, the countries were informed of the agenda of the ASEAN-New Zealand Post Ministerial Conference (PMC) on the occasion of the 55^th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and related meetings slated for July 31 - August 6 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.