Record number of documents adopted at 37th ASEAN Summit against COVID-19 backdrop

HANOI (Vietnam News/ANN) -- The 37th Asean Summit and related summits wrapped up on Sunday with more than 80 documents adopted to concretise the joint efforts of Asean member states and their partners in strengthening cooperation against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The -number of adopted documents was the largest in the history of all Asean meetings, said Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. They included the Mid-term Review of Asean Community Vision 2025 Blueprints; Asean Comprehensive Recovery Framework; Asean Plus

Pengiran Haji Sahari bin Pengiran Haji Salleh, Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam to Vietnam (left) receives a hammer, which represents Asean Chairmanship, from Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc.   --Photo VNS

Three Leaders’ Statement on Strengthening Asean Plus Three Cooperation for Economic and Financial Resilience in the Face of Emerging Challenges; and the Hanoi Declaration on the 15th Anniversary of the East Asia Summit.
“All initiatives proposed by Vietnam at the summits, as the Asean Chair 2020, were discussed, approved and warmly welcomed by Asean leaders and partners. Initiatives on establishing Asean COVID-19 Respond Fund, Asean Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies and Asean Regional Centre on Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases received donations from many countries,” said Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung.
Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuân Phúc said more than 20 meetings during the 37th Asean Summit discussed practical issues for nearly 630 million Asean citizens, focusing on COVID-19 response and economic recovery after the pandemic to realise the dual targets of pandemic prevention, control and production revitalisation, creating jobs for local people.
The initiatives adopted realise the spirit of “not leaving anyone behind”, narrowing development gaps and integrating sub-Mekong region cooperation into regional collaboration.
The signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) holds a significant meaning to not only Asean but also global trade, helping minimise impacts caused by global supply chain disruption, promote trade flow within Asean and between Asean and its partners, Phúc said.
“Asean countries always welcome India’s return to the trade deal and will create favourable conditions for India if India wants to join.
“After the signing, RCEP member countries will follow their internal process to ratify the deal,” PM Phúc told media at the press conference.
Asean leaders also discussed regional peace and security issues, especially in maritime cooperation.
“Leaders affirmed that during the challenging time in the post-COVID-19 period, cooperation to ensure peace and stability has become more urgent than ever. The respect for laws, sovereignty and legitimate rights of nations was highlighted, looking towards building a peaceful and stable South China Sea.
The summit and related meetings “have regarded dialogues as tools and put cooperation at the centre”, opening a new path for Asean, elevating Asean relationships with partners towards cooperation for peace and prosperity, Phuc said.

(Latest Update November 17, 2020)