"Maintaining peace and stability is the top concern"

During the two days of the 9th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 9) in Vientiane, Laos, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and other leaders attended meetings to discuss important issues on global issues, recent developments in the world and on the two continents, as well as measures to strengthen ASEM cooperation.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung attends the first plenary session of ASEM 9. (Photo: Duc Tam/VNA)

Discussing at the session on regional issues, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung shared his assessment that the world and the two continents of Asia and Europe are moving into a new period of development, with new opportunities, but also facing a series of huge security challenges.

Ethnic and religious conflicts, territorial and maritime disputes in some places, socio-economic instability, economic decline... are having a profound impact on humanity in general and the two continents in particular with many unpredictable consequences. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also shared the common perception that maintaining peace, security and stability is the top concern of all countries and regions today. Disputes need to be resolved through peaceful negotiations and on the basis of international law and existing mechanisms and agreements, including the ASEAN Six-Point Statement on the East Sea.

In that spirit, Vietnam highly appreciates the fact that the host country Laos has chosen the theme of ASEM 9 as "Friends for Peace, Partners for Prosperity." Obviously, there can be no prosperity without peace and stability. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung stressed that although there are still some differences and disagreements in this or that field, maintaining peace, security and stability is the greatest common denominator of all interests.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung stated that, looking at the global situation as a whole, the trend of peace, cooperation and development is still prominent. Although the prolonged global economic recession has given rise to trade protectionism trends here and there, in general, the trend of trade association and liberalization is still being persistently promoted. To promote these positive trends, the key issue now is that all parties must make joint efforts to create regional structures that are suitable to the rapid changes in the situation, the diversity of development levels, socio-political systems and cultures; must share the common goal of peace, stability and development, be constructive, transparent and effective, respond more effectively to traditional and non-traditional security challenges, and adequately ensure the interests of developing countries.

Referring to the role of ASEAN, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung stated that in the regional structure taking shape in Southeast Asia, ASEAN's central role has been increasingly consolidated, affirming its role as the leading important factor in ensuring an environment of peace, security, cooperation and development in the region. ASEAN's relations with its partners have been deepened through the ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, ASEAN Regional Security Forum, East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung highly appreciated the initiatives and constructive contributions of many ASEM members to enhance cooperation and trade and investment relations with ASEAN and each member of the Association, as well as the efforts of EU members to join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) and other relevant cooperation mechanisms.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung emphasized that Vietnam always attaches importance to promoting and deepening multifaceted relations with ASEM members. All strategic partners, comprehensive partners, and most of Vietnam's leading free trade (FTA) partners are ASEM members. These partnerships and associations as well as efforts to contribute to ASEM cooperation are of key significance to Vietnam's new strategic period, aiming to continue comprehensive innovation and deep international integration, including proactively and actively building the ASEAN Community and contributing to strengthening ASEM cooperation as well as other regional and inter-regional mechanisms.

Discussing at the session on global issues, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung stressed the urgency of strengthening cooperation in the face of increasingly fierce and complex global issues; and at the same time, he highlighted the efforts of Asia, including ASEAN and Vietnam. This was one of the discussion contents that members valued, and was the session with the longest discussion duration at the Conference. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, along with the President of Indonesia, the Prime Minister of Russia, the President of the European Commission and a European leader, delivered opening remarks at the session.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung emphasized that it can be said that never before has the world had to face so many traditional and non-traditional problems and challenges at the same time, with such intertwined, far-reaching, and unpredictable impacts as it does today. Maintaining peace, security, and stability continues to be a high priority in international cooperation, as traditional security challenges such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, transnational crime, territorial disputes, maritime safety and security, etc. continue to develop in a very complex manner. At the same time, non-traditional challenges are increasingly emerging, aggravating the economic and social problems of countries. Climate change - the leading challenge of humanity in the 21st century - is increasing the unpredictability and suddenness in the level and frequency of natural disasters, aggravating the degradation of the environment and ecosystems, etc., leading to instability in production, especially food production, and people's lives.

In addition, the Prime Minister pointed out that since the global economic and financial crisis, development issues have become urgent and global governance institutions formed in the 20th century have revealed many shortcomings, requiring changes in global coordination and cooperation mechanisms capable of effectively responding to common issues and challenges.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung proposed that global issues should be approached and addressed on the basis of a long-term, comprehensive and multi-sectoral vision, closely linked to the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, including environmental protection, efforts to eradicate hunger and reduce poverty and gender equality. Efforts should continue to reform the United Nations and international financial institutions towards greater fairness, democracy and efficiency, while improving the effectiveness of existing regional and inter-regional cooperation mechanisms. This is completely consistent with the current fundamental shifts in the international balance of power. At the same time, promote specific programs and initiatives to promptly handle emerging development issues, especially climate change forecasting, early warning of natural disasters, protection of water resources, especially water resources passing through many territories, food security, rescue and relief at sea... These are major issues facing many countries in Asia-Pacific, which accounts for more than 60% of the world's population but only has about 35% of global water resources and suffers about 70% of natural disasters in the world.

In that spirit, Vietnam, together with Laos, Indonesia, the European Commission, Germany, Pakistan, Denmark and the Netherlands, proposed to organize the "ASEM Summit on Disaster Prevention and Relief in Response to Climate Change."

Vietnam will also host the "ASEM Workshop on Water and River Basin Management - Green Growth Approach" within the framework of the "ASEM Dialogue on Sustainable Development" initiative together with Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Laos and Thailand./.

According to (TTXVN)-LT