In a bid to strengthen ties, Vietnam has urged for enhanced cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United States across various domains, including trade, artificial intelligence, digital technology, and energy transition. This call was made during the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with the US, held in Manila. Vietnamese Foreign Minister Lê Hoài Trung expressed appreciation for Washington’s dedication to fostering peace, stability, and development in the region, and emphasized the urgency of finalizing a new comprehensive work program between the two parties.
Trung highlighted the potential for expanded collaboration in crucial areas such as trade and investment, the digital economy, semiconductors, science and technology, innovation, energy transition, and regional energy connectivity. Additionally, he appealed for the United States to continue supporting the Mekong sub-region, particularly in water management, climate change adaptation, infrastructure development, and workforce training. On the matter of regional security, Trung underscored the significance of maintaining peace and resolving disputes through dialogue and adherence to international law, while also welcoming the US backing of ASEAN’s stance on the South China Sea.
In addressing broader international issues, Trung called for enhanced dialogue concerning developments in the Middle East, emphasizing the need to restore safe maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz. He stressed the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation under international law, a principle crucial to maintaining global trade and security.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting ASEAN, highlighting Southeast Asia as a region of critical strategic and economic significance. Rubio assured continued US investment in various sectors, including supply chains, the digital economy, energy security, power-grid connectivity, and civil nuclear cooperation. These efforts aim to strengthen the economic ties between ASEAN and the US, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in high-value industries.
The conference concluded with both ASEAN and the United States agreeing to deepen economic ties and expand cooperation. They also committed to enhancing people-to-people exchanges and improving coordination in addressing challenges such as terrorism, cybercrime, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and online scams. This cooperation reflects a shared vision for a secure, prosperous, and interconnected future, underpinned by a commitment to a rules-based regional order centered on ASEAN.