PM meets Myanmar, Indonesian Presidents on 24th ASEAN Summit sidelines

President U Thein Sein thanked Vietnam for positively supporting the country in performing its ASEAN chairmanship.

He affirmed that Myanmar always attaches much importance to the traditional friendship with Vietnam.

Along with enhancing exchanges of delegations and highlevel meetings and people-to-people contacts, Myanmar will create favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses to invest in the country, especially in areas of oil and gas, banking and tourism, striving for a two-way trade of US$500 million by 2015, he said.

The Myanmar leader said he hopes the eighth meeting of the Joint Committee on bilateral co-operation of the two countries as well as the seventh political consultation between the two Foreign Ministries will be held soon.

During the meeting, the two sides expressed their delight at the growing bilateral ties in past years.

They highly valued their affiliation at regional and international forums, especially sub-regional co-operation frameworks such as the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Co-operation Strategy, the Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam grouping, the Greater Mekong Subregion and the East-West Economic Corridor.

They agreed to work with other ASEAN member countries to boost solidarity and build an ASEAN Community by 2015, while raising a common ASEAN voice on regional and international matters, including the East Sea issue.

During his meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, PM Dung congratulated the country on the recent successful parliament election and spoke highly of the role that the President played in elevating bilateral ties to a strategic partnership last June.

The two sides agreed to actively implement the plan of action in the 2014-2018 period and hold the second meeting of their Joint Committee in 2014, while preparing for activities to celebrate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2015.

Both leaders said they were pleased by the two country's close co-ordination at regional and international forums, especially at ASEAN and the United Nations.

They pledged to continue working closely with other ASEAN members in successfully building an ASEAN Community of solidarity, while consolidating ASEAN's central role in a regional co-operation mechanism.

Regarding new developments in the East Sea, the Indonesian President expressed concern over rising tensions in the sea, holding that all disputes should be settled peacefully without military intervention.

Indonesia is willing to co-ordinate with Vietnam and relevant parties in seeking suitable solutions to the matter, he affirmed.

(Source: Nhandan Online)