The forum was established in 2002 with the participation of governmental representatives, researchers and businesses from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) to put forth policies for the ASEAN Plus 3 Summit to promote regional cooperation.
Themed “Bolstering Free and Open Economy in East Asia”, the participants discussed sustainable development, business environment improvement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the journey to Society 5.0 from Industry 4.0.
Speaking at the forum, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung, who is also head of the Vietnam ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), pointed to advantages and gaps in cooperation to boost sustainable development in the region.
He recognised the efforts of ASEAN Plus 3 (China, Japan and the RoK) in implementing sustainable development goals and cooperation in poverty reduction, environmental protection, climate change adaptation and support of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
The official stressed the need to ensure a peaceful and stable environment as well as the most fundamental living conditions for people so they can be aware of the necessity of sustainable development to their lives.
He called on ASEAN Plus 3 countries and partners to promote new cooperation and innovation models while implementing commitments within the framework of ASEAN Plus3 on enhancing cooperation between ASEAN and partners in realising sustainable development goals, promoting green growth, developing smart cities, coping with social issues like aging population, and protecting the marine environment.
The 18th EAF will be co-chaired by Vietnam and China in 2020.
