Delegates at the meeting (Photo: VNA) Jakarta (VNA) - The fourth meeting of the ASEAN-Switzerland JointSectoral Cooperation Committee (AS-JSCC) took place at the headquarters of theASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia on November 29.
Ambassadorand head of the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to ASEAN Tran Duc Binh attendedthe meeting.
The two sides compared noteson each side’s situation and reviewed cooperation over the past years,especially the implementation of the List of Priorities for Cooperation under the ASEAN-Switzerland Sectoral Dialogue Relationsfor 2017-2018 and the Action Plan for the ASEAN-Switzerland PracticalCooperation Areas (CPA) 2017-2021.
During 2018and 2019, Switzerland provided over 9 million USD in aid for 22 ASEAN –Switzerland joint projects.
The Swissside affirmed that it attaches importance to ties with ASEAN, supports ASEAN’scentral role in the region, and wishes to build closer ties with the bloc in thethree pillars of economy, trade and investment.
It welcomed theadoption of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, expressed support forlinkage between the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the United Nations SustainableDevelopment Goals till 2023, and economic development during the fourthindustrial revolution.
Switzerlandpledged to continue assisting ASEAN in building the community and realisingASEAN Vision 2025, and welcomed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership(RCEP).
On the EastSea issue, the European country highlighted the principle of behaving based oninternational law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law ofthe Sea.
The two sides promised tocontinue working closely together and promptly carried out the remaining linesof actions under the CPA 2017-2021, especially in fields of mutual concern suchas trade and investment facilitation, digital economy, cooperation in cybersecurity, connectivity strengthening, the Initiative for ASEAN Integration onnarrowing development gap, the ASEAN Smart Cities Network, support for micro,small and medium-sized enterprises, education-training, human resourcesdevelopment, tourism, environment issues, disaster management and climatechange response.
Switzerland became a sectoraldialogue partner of ASEAN in July 2016. During the first AS-JSCC meeting, both sides agreed on the Listof Priorities for Cooperation for 2017-2018.
They later adopted the CPA2017 – 2021 during the second meeting./.
VNA
