Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung headed the Vietnamese high-level delegation attending the special ASEAN-US summit which opened in the Sunnylands Resort in California on February 15.
The 2-day summit aims to tighten the ASEAN-US strategic partnership and map out orientations for future bilateral ties.
US President Barack Obama, leaders of ASEAN countries and ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh are attending the first summit between the US and ASEAN as strategic partners.
The summit will discuss ways to boost the ASEAN Economic Community, promote peace, prosperity and security in the Asia-Pacific region, especially maritime security, fight terrorism, deal with trans-national challenges, and forecast the future prospects of the region.
Enhancing ASEAN-US strategic partnership
Since ASEAN and the US set up a dialogue relationship in 1977 and established partnership in 2005, the two sides have steadily expanded cooperation in politics, security, economics, trade, and culture.
At the 3rd ASEAN-US Summit in November, 2015, in Malaysia, the two sides agreed to set up a strategic partnership and adopted an action plan for boosting the ASEAN-US Strategic Partnership until 2020.
Considering ASEAN a priority in its rebalancing policy, the US has helped ASEAN strengthen security, especially maritime security through regional forums.
ASEAN and the US have expanded cooperation in anti-terrorism, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, cyber security, and anti-trans-national crime. The US is one of ASEAN’s top trade and investment partners.
The two sides are boosting cooperation in science, technology, education, epidemic control, energy security, disaster management, and climate change adaptation.
Now that the ASEAN Community has been established, the current summit will provide further impetus to the bilateral strategic partnership.
Mapping out a roadmap for bilateral cooperation
The ASEAN-US summit in Sunnylands is the first summit between ASEAN and a partner country since the ASEAN Community was established.
It is an opportunity to explore ways to make their cooperation more effective. The summit is expected to create a roadmap for further cooperation.
With China’s recent actions escalating tensions in the region, the summit emphasizes the importance of settling territorial disputes in the East Sea through negotiations, in line with international law, and with respect for maritime freedom, and avoiding rash or unnecessary military action.
US Ambassador to ASEAN Nina Hachigian says the summit plays an important role in the US’s pivot in the Asia-Pacific region. She said the US will continue to cooperate with Southeast Asia after Obama’s term ends.
Vietnam’s attendance at the summit upholds its active and responsible role in ASEAN and affirms its commitment to deepening the ASEAN-US partnership.
Vietnam hopes to strengthen Vietnam-US cooperation in security, national defense, science, technology, economics and investment.
VOV
