ASEAN foreign ministers discuss priorities, direction for 2020

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (Photo credit: vietnamfriendship.com)

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will strengthen the region's external relations and reinforce the ASEAN-centered regional architecture in 2020, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said Friday.

Minh spoke at a press conference following the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat held on Thursday and Friday in the country's central city of Nha Trang, which is the first gathering of the bloc's foreign ministers in 2020 under the theme "Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN."

Foreign ministers of ASEAN member countries had "in-depth and fruitful" discussions on the region's priorities for the year 2020 and the way forward for the ASEAN Community building, Minh said.

The ministers underlined the importance of strengthening ASEAN unity, cohesiveness, deepening ASEAN economic integration, boosting intra-ASEAN trade and investment, enhancing connectivity and sub-regional cooperation and promoting a prominent image and visibility of the ASEAN Community, he said.

The members will also promote cooperation in sustainable development, women empowerment and gender equality and other areas, he added.