Ambassador Nguyen Hai Bang, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to ASEAN, attended the fifth meeting of the ASEAN-Germany Development Partnership Committee (AG-DPC) held virtually on November 5.

Ambassador Nguyen Hai Bang, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to ASEAN (Photo: Vietnamese Delegation to ASEAN)

At the meeting, ASEAN members highly valued cooperation of the sides in the recent past and Germany’s assistance for ASEAN, particularly in the fields of regional economic integration, environment and climate change, institution building/capacity enhancement and COVID-19 prevention and control.

Germany hailed cooperation with ASEAN, underling that the organisation plays an important role in maintaining political and economic stability of the region. The European nation is keen to further engage in ASEAN-led processes.

It briefed participants on the recent elections and the implementation of its Indo-Pacific policy and announced that Germany will take over the G7 presidency in 2022.

Germany is committed to supporting ASEAN in the implementation of the ASEAN Vision 2025, the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025 and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan IV (2021-2025), response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and contributing to maintaining peace and stability in Asia-Pacific and the world.

The sides took the occasion to discuss their situations and review cooperation results across all fields over the years, agreeing to bolster consultation and collaboration mechanisms, and the ASEAN-Germany development partnership in the future.

They consented to step up the practical cooperation in sectors of joint concerns and study those with potential, including COVID-19 fight, trade-investment, education, vocational training and digitalisation.

Germany also shows support for the ASEAN-EU dialogue partnership and pays attention to developing its ties with ASEAN.

ASEAN members agreed to grant the status of Development Partner to Germany at the 49th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Vientiane, Laos in July 2016.

Source: VNA