FM Bui Thanh Son held phone talks with Singaporean, Indian, Moroccan, Chinese counterparts
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son held separate phone talks with his Singaporean, Indian, Moroccan, Chinese counterparts.
Latest
 |
| Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son. |
On the phone talk with Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan, the two sides consented to closely coordinate, contributing to enhancing trade and investment ties between the two countries.
Vivian Balakrishnan congratulated Son on his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam, and lauded the country’s performance in COVID-19 prevention and control, as well as socio-economic development and diplomacy.
Singapore attaches great importance to the strategic partnership with Viet Nam, he affirmed.
Son, for his part, spoke highly of cooperation efficiency between the two countries across spheres, emphasising that Singapore was Viet Nam’s largest investor last year despite the pandemic.
He suggested the two sides continue with all-level delegation exchanges when possible, effectively implement bilateral cooperation mechanisms, firstly the 15th Viet Nam-Singapore Connectivity Ministerial Meeting and the 14th political consultation at the deputy foreign ministerial level.
The minister used the occasion to thank Singapore for supporting Viet Nam’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020, and non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for 2020-2021.
The two ministers agreed to step up cooperation within the framework of ASEAN and multilateral forums, for peace, stability and cooperation in the region.
They exchanged invitations to visit their respective countries at a convenient time.
| New Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son holds online conversations with Australian, Malaysian, Philippine counterparts |
On the same day, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son held talks with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, during which the two sides have agreed to closely coordinate in order to effectively promote the action programme implementing the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries for 2021-2023.
Jaishankar congratulated Son on his appointment as Viet Nam’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and praised achievements the country has recorded over the past time, especially in external affairs, notably its ASEAN Chairmanship 2020.
The ministers rejoiced at the steps of development of the Viet Nam-India comprehensive strategic partnership and concurred to maintain the existing cooperation mechanisms.
Viet Nam and India will work to strengthen collaboration in national defence and security, and raise the two-way trade to 15 billion USD, they said.
Minister Son appreciated India’s support for Viet Nam’s sustainable development goals through quick impact projects (QIPs).
Viet Nam backs India’s “Act East Policy”, he said, suggesting the two countries step up cooperation and support each other at multilateral forums, especially in 2021 when both countries serves as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Son welcomed India’s consistent stance on the East Sea and spoke highly of India's role at regional and international forums, particularly within the framework of the ASEAN-India partnership and the UN.
| Bui Thanh Son elected as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam |
Later, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita held phone talks to discuss bilateral cooperation and coordination in multilateral forums.
During the talks, Bourita congratulated the new Foreign Minister of Viet Nam and expressed his impression on the country's achievements in the fight against COVID-19 as well as socio-economic development.
He spoke highly of Viet Nam’s role as Chair of ASEAN in 2020 and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-21 term.
Bourita voiced his belief that under Son’s leadership, the Foreign Ministry of Viet Nam will continue to obtain attainments in external relations.
In reply, Son expressed his delight at steps of development in the Viet Nam-Morocco ties over the past 60 years and affirmed that Viet Nam treasures friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Morocco.
To boost the bilateral relations to match with each other’s potential and demand, the two ministers discussed measures to enhance cooperation, especially in the fields of trade, investment, banking, culture, tourism, and education training, among others.
The two sides exchanged views on several regional and international issues of shared concern. The ministers agreed to strengthen collaboration to further tap on the role of cooperative mechanisms co-chaired by the two countries’ foreign ministries such as joint committees, thereby deepening the relations between Viet Nam and Morroco.
The Moroccan Minister vowed to support Viet Nam in setting up a partnership with the African Union, and said that Morocco stands ready to act as a gateway for Viet Nam to access and develop its market with African and Arabian nations.
Viet Nam is also viewed as a gateway for Morocco to expand cooperation with ASEAN and Asia, he added.
| Symposium spotlights late Foreign Minister Nguyen Co Thach’s vision on diplomacy development |
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son made a phone call to the Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Son took the occasion to brief his Chinese counterpart on Viet Nam’s guideline for external relations defined at the 13th National Party Congress, under which Viet Nam consistently pursues an independent foreign policy for peace, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralization, and comprehensive and in-depth international integration.
The FM reiterated that maintaining and developing the traditional friendship and the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China is always one of the top priorities in Viet Nam’s external policy.
FM Wang Yi affirmed that China attaches importance to promoting the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with Viet Nam and congratulated Viet Nam on the success of the 13th National Party Congress and the 11th session of the 14th National Assembly, during which the country selected a new leadership and defined socio-economic development targets for the years ahead.
The two FMs shared the view that the two parties and countries’ relations continue to maintain a positive development trend, with regular exchanges and contacts at all levels held in flexible forms, and economic-trade cooperative growing despite the heavy impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The two countries have shared medical supplies and experience in fighting the pandemic, and supported each other in times of natural disasters.
The two sides agreed to promote exchanges at a high level and other levels, and invited each other to make mutual visit at an appropriate time for direct discussion. They also vowed to bring into full play the role of the two Foreign Ministries in coordinating and promoting cooperation across the fields in bilateral ties towards a healthy and substantial growth of economic-trade relations, and maintain discussions on international and regional issues of mutual concern.
The two sides discussed sea-related issues in a sincere and straightforward manner and agreed to continue optimizing the role of existing negotiating mechanisms. Minister Son said that the two sides should handle disputes in the spirit of respecting each other’s legitimate rights and interests, bilateral agreements and common perception, and international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and work together with ASEAN to achieve positive progress regarding a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
(TGVN)
