PM Dung stresses sustainable development at 10th ASEM

At his speech, PM Dung proposed ASEM indentify the sustainable development as the crucial foundation in coping with global challenges and place people at the center of its development.

He suggested giving priority to completing Millennium Development Goals and establishing a post-2015 development agenda, and accelerating new global agreements on climate at the Paris Conference and on natural disaster mitigation cooperation at the Sendai Conference. 

Accordingly, ASEM should promote a global-level development vision and an inter-sectoral, innovative and creative approach to food, water and energy security in the context of unexpected climate change, he added. 

It is necessary to enhance joint efforts to reduce disaster risks and promote post-calamity recovery as well as establishing a network to exchange information and cooperation. 
PM Dung asserted that ASEM needs to launch effectively and synchronously activities and initiatives within the framework of the forum and other mechanisms, paying due attention to narrowing development gap, and promoting subregional and regional cooperation between the ASEM members, especially the Danube-Mekong cooperation as well as improving the capacity of developing members. 

A cooperation agreement reached between Viet Nam's Ben Tre province and Romania's Tulcea province in the framework of Danube-Mekong cooperation was seen as a piece of evidence of the practicality of Asia-Europe cooperation.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung also applauded on ASEM members' support for Viet Nam's three initiatives in terms of sustainable management of water resources, poverty reduction and comprehensive and sustainable growth.

By Thuy Dung