Bangkok (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucexpressed his delight at growing ties between ASEAN and Japan while addressingthe 22nd ASEAN – Japan Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 4.

He reviewed the positive results of joint efforts on acrossmaritime security, anti-terrorism, the fight against trans-national crime, cybersecurity, national defence, non-proliferation and disarmament of nuclearweapons, and legal capacity enhancement.

In economic cooperation, Japan is the fourth largest tradepartner, the second largest investor and the top supplier of officialdevelopment assistance for ASEAN, he said.

The PM said he wished both sides would step up collaborationin protecting the marine environment, coping with natural disasters and climatechange, preventing pollution, dealing with waste, providing health care for theelderly, developing clean energy and boosting sustainable development in the Mekongregion.

The leader welcomed the synergy between the Master Plan onASEAN Connectivity 2025 and the Partnership for Quality Infrastructure, as wellas cultural and people-to-people exchanges via the Japan – ASEAN IntegrationFund.

On regional and global issues, he expressed ASEAN’s stanceon issues regarding the East Sea and the Korean Peninsula.

ASEAN leaders agreed to boost the relationship with Japanand asked for enhanced coordination in infrastructure connectivity, smart citydevelopment, cyber security, anti-terrorism, post-disaster recovery, and narrowingthe development gap.

Speaking highly of ASEAN’s important role, Japanese PrimeMinister Shinzo Abe expressed his support for the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacificregion, including its central role, and pledged to reinforce comprehensivecooperation with the bloc.

He urged countries to adopt the Joint Statement of the 22nd ASEAN – Japan Summit on Connectivity, and announced important cooperationinitiatives, including enhancing financial support for ASEAN, holding trainingcourses on cyber security, stepping up cooperation in smart city andinfrastructure development, training a quality workforce; tapping opportunitiesarising from the Fourth Industrial Revolution, digital economy and innovation;response to climate change and plastic waste, cultural and people-to-peopleexchanges, and health care.

The Japanese PM stressed that ASEAN and Japan need tostrengthen a free, open and fair multilateral trade system based on rules andwelcomed progress in negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive EconomicPartnership (RCEP).

Abe expressed his support for ASEAN’s stance on the EastSea, reaffirming the importance of maintaining peace, stability and security,maritime and aviation freedom and safety in the East Sea with respect todiplomatic and legal processes, while upholding the principles of internationallaw, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

He called on parties concerned to exercise restraint, refrainfrom militarisation and unilateral actions that further complicate thesituation, and make efforts to build an effective and practical Code of Conductin the East Sea.

Concluding the meeting, the two sides adopted the JointStatement of the 22nd ASEAN – Japan Summit on Connectivity./.