(VOVworld) – A series of meetings between ASEAN and its dialogue partners (ASEAN+1) took place on Monday in Vientiane, Laos, as part of the 49^th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM), which has been an effective cooperative mechanism between ASEAN and 10 countries and political entities, including China, the Republic of Korea, the US, Japan, India, Canada, Australia, Russia, New Zealand and the European Union.

Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh attended the meetings (Photo: VOV)

On Monday morning, there was a meeting between ASEAN and China and another meeting between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea. ASEAN praised the role of its partners, saying their commitment to support ASEAN would provide momentum for regional development. ASEAN countries also stressed the importance of the ASEAN+1 mechanism to the bloc.

On Sunday at the plenary session of the AMM, participating countries emphasized the need to stabilize relations between ASEAN and its partners on the basis of mutual understanding and win-win objectiveness. It’s necessary to maintain ASEAN’s central role in building a regional structure which should also match with regional characteristics and interests. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said he values the relationship with partners under the ASEAN+1 framework. Mr. Minh added that ASEAN needs to uphold its central role in formulating a multi-layered regional structure based on law.