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These were the most important events chaired by Bank Indonesia (BI) and the Indonesian Ministry of Finance within the framework of the ASEAN financial and monetary cooperation in 2023, when the nation holds the ASEAN Chairmanship.

With the theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth” for the ASEAN Year 2023, the BI and Finance Ministry of Indonesia informed some focuses of regional financial and banking cooperation, namely reconstruction, digital economy, and sustainable development.

On behalf of the SBV, Dung highly valued the proposals by the BI and Finance Ministry of Indonesia to deal with urgent issues facing countries and devise long-term orientations towards sustainable growth in the region.

Assessing the ASEAN banking integration outcomes, central bank and financial officials recognized efforts by the ASEAN Senior-Level Committee (SLC) on banking integration and the working committees in actively coordinating and effectively implementing cooperation initiatives. They also gave directions to accelerate moves to achieve targets of the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025.

The Vietnamese official applauded the working committees’ outcomes, asking them to consider the review plans for the set targets for 2025 and prepare for making plans for the 2025 – 2035 period.

He called on the Working Committee on Capital Account Liberalization (WC-CAL) to increase discussions and further share information about the situation of capital flows and the application of macro-prudential policies in member countries, which is a highly important issue amid many risks and uncertainties facing global financial conditions. Meanwhile, the Working Committee on ASEAN Banking Integration Framework (WC-ABIF) should look into lessons for risk inspection, supervision, and governance in the regional banking system following some recent bank failures in the US and Switzerland.

The Deputy Governor welcomed the activities and initiatives carried out by the Working Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems (WC-PSS) to build a cross-border payment network and consider the establishment of a multilateral payment mechanism in ASEAN.

As part of the meetings, the central bank governors and finance ministers of ASEAN, representatives of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN ABAC), the U.S. – ASEAN Business Advisory Council (US – ASEAN BAC) and the E.U. – ASEAN Business Advisory Council (E.U. – ASEAN BAC), along with managing directors of big financial institutions in the region discussed challenges related to digital economy, supply chains, climate change, inflation, and geopolitical tensions.

Source: VNA

The event is organised by the Thai Ministry of Commerce’s Department of International Trade Promotion in order to boost cooperation between the two countries’ enterprises.

On display are food and beverages, health and beauty products, kitchen utensils and household appliances, apparel and accessories, products for children, tourism and cuisine.

Visitors to the event could enjoy Thai culinary performances and join in other activities.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Van Hong said local leaders will continue promoting the enhanced strategic partnership between Vietnam and Thailand and between Thailand and Can Tho in particular, contributing to the two countries’ socio-economic development via the “Three Connects” strategy, including connecting supply chains, connecting basic economic sectors, especially connecting sustainable growth strategies of the two countries, which are Vietnam’s National Green Growth Strategy and Thailand’s Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economic Model.

Source: VNA

At the talks, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien highly valued Guangxi’s position and special role in cooperation between Vietnam and China.

Nguyen Hong Dien put forth proposals on facilitating goods clearance, ensuring supply chains, expanding agricultural imports from Vietnam, helping trade promotion activities, and continuing to implement cooperation contents within the framework of bilateral cooperation agreements.

He also proposed the Guangxi side encourage and support businesses of the two countries to diversify their delivery of agricultural products and fruits through the two countries’ border gates in order to take advantage of the existing infrastructure, reduce the pressure of goods clearance, avoid the recurrence of import and export congestion at some of the main border gates.

For his part, Liu Ning emphasized Vietnam’s role as Guangxi’s largest trading partner over the past 24 years and shared good cooperation results between the two sides over the past time.

Agricultural trade between the two sides reached about 2.1 billion USD last year, he said, adding Guangxi businesses participated in many agricultural product trade promotion activities of Vietnam such as those for Son La mango or lychee from the northern provinces of Bac Giang and Hai Duong.

Liu said he agrees with Nguyen Hong Dien’s proposals nd will assign Guangxi departments, sectors, and localities to quickly coordinate with the Vietnamese side to study and implement.

On the same day, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien and Secretary Liu co-chaired a conference on Vietnam – China (Guangxi) trade and economic cooperation in the new era.

The conference attracted nearly 300 representatives from state management agencies and businesses of both sides.

Source: VNA

Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, made the remark while attending a workshop in Berlin on March 31.

The event, held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany and the Vietnamese Innovation Network in Europe (VINEU), discussed the enhancement of cooperation under the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) framework towards net zero emissions in Vietnam by 2050. It was part of the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue Week 2023.

Expressing his impression of renewable energy development in Vietnam as he saw during a visit last September, Flasbarth held that with advantages for wind and solar energy, Vietnam will become a pioneer in energy transition in Southeast Asia. The Vietnamese Government has also proved its ambitious targets about mitigating climate change and reducing the dependence on thermal power plants to prepare for a clean energy system in the future.

However, the energy transition process is successful only when it is carried out in a just manner and generates chances for domestic industries and sustainable job opportunities for local people. Besides, targets of the JETP should be quickly turned into concrete policy measures and policies, he recommended.

Flasbarth added that existing solutions of the E.U., including Germany, can be transferred to Vietnam via investment and trade activities.

In his speech, Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Vu Quang Minh said that at the 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in 2021, Vietnam made ambitious commitments, including becoming a carbon-neutral economy by 2050, only five years later than Germany. This is a very challenging target in terms of not only technology, economy, or finance but also social aspects connected with this major transition, including the rights and interests of all ethnic groups and the parties concerned, he said.

Therefore, Vietnam needs international partners’ cooperation and support to achieve this target, Vu Quang Minh noted, adding that its Ministry of Industry and Trade is also exerting efforts to complete the national electricity development planning for the 2021 – 2030 period, with a vision to 2050, that will gradually reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuel sources and develop renewables such as hydropower, wind power, solar power, and biomass power to cut down greenhouse gas emissions.

Talking via teleconferencing, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoang An said the energy transition process in Vietnam is being accelerated in the spirit of bringing into play internal strength and enhancing cooperation with international partners along with bilateral and multilateral financial institutions.

He underlined the role of partners in helping the country achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Representing Vietnamese experts, intellectuals, scientists, and entrepreneurs in Europe, VINEU Vice Chairman Cao The Anh also pledged to make contributions to the sustainable development of the homeland and the world via innovation, science – technology, and technology transfer.

Some participants at the workshop suggested a joint working group gathering relevant ministries of Vietnam and Germany be established to implement JETP-related initiatives early.

Source: VNA

In the spirit of friendship, mutual understanding, and mutual respect, the two sides discussed the Vietnam – Holy See relations and issues related to the Vietnam Catholic Church.

Le Thi Thu Hang affirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy of respecting and ensuring people’s freedom of belief and religion, and that administrations at all levels have always paid attention to and created favorable conditions for activities of religions, including Catholicism.

She proposed the Holy See pay attention to and guide the Catholic community of Vietnam to stay attached to and stand side by side with the State and people, contribute to the country’s development, and bring into play the fine cultural and ethical values of Catholicism, thereby helping to promote the Vietnam – Holy See ties.

Wachowski noted that the Holy See always hopes that the Vietnam Catholic Church operates in line with Vietnam’s law and actively contributes to the country’s development in conformity with the Church’s teachings of “living the gospel amidst the nation” and that “a good Catholic must be a good citizen”.

At the meeting, the two sides shared the view that the relations between Vietnam and the Holy See have recorded much progress in the recent past as seen in the regular meetings and consultations, high-level delegation exchanges, and frequent pastoral visits by Archbishop Marek Zalewski, Non-Resident Pontifical Representative and Special Envoy of the Holy See, to Vietnam.

They also discussed and basically agreed on the working regulations for the Holy See’s Resident Representative and Resident Representative Office in Vietnam.

On this occasion, Le Thi Thu Hang had a meeting with Secretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States Archbishop Paul Gallagher.

Source: VNA