On August 20, 2023, within the framework of the 55th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting, ASEAN Economic Ministers hold consultation meetings with its partners, including the European Union, Canada, the Organization of World Intellectual Property Rights (WIPO), Hong Kong, China in Semarang, Indonesia, with the participation of Economic Ministers of ASEAN member countries and Economic Ministers of each partner country in order to exchange information about the regional and global economic situation in recent years, to share information and to orient economic cooperation between ASEAN and its partners in the coming time. The Vietnamese delegation included representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance.

At the ASEAN - European Union (EU) Economic Ministerial-level Consultation meeting, as the coordinator of ASEAN - EU relations, Vietnam coordinated the discussion on the implementation of ASEAN - EU trade and investment in the period 2022 - 2023, suggested countries to take advantage of ASEAN-EU Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment framework to discuss and share information and best practices on domestic policies and regulations in areas of mutually beneficial cooperation and through the adoption of the ASEAN-EU Work Program on Trade and Investment 2024-2025.

Regarding economic cooperation between ASEAN and Canada, the Ministers focused on discussing the progress of negotiating the ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement (ACaFTA) as well as approving reports of head of the negotiation team on the progress of this agreement negotiation. On the basis of the negotiation progress, the Ministers agreed to adopt a new target to basically conclude the negotiation of the ACaFTA Agreement by 2025.

At the ASEAN Economic Ministers and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Consultation Meeting, the Ministers and Director General of WIPO discussed the cooperation situation between ASEAN and WIPO, including such issues as: (i) the vital role of Intellectual property for ASEAN development into a region with many breakthrough innovations; (ii) ASEAN-WIPO Memorandum of Understanding: Reaching new heights in ASEAN-WIPO cooperation; (iii) WIPO's vision of intellectual property as an engine of inclusive growth and transformation for the benefit of all. Besides, on the sidelines of the meeting, the Ministers attended the Launching Ceremony of the ASEAN Intellectual Property Registry.

With Hong Kong, China, the Ministers focused on discussing the implementation of the ASEAN-Hong Kong, China Free Trade Agreement (AHKFTA) and the ASEAN-Hong Kong, China Investment Agreement (AHKIA). The Ministers took note of the first Protocol amending the AHKFTA Agreement with the main content being on the agreed commodity-specific rules. On that basis, the Ministers agreed to implement domestic procedures to be able to sign this Protocol in the near future.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Ministers also met and discussed with the ASEAN-EU and ASEAN-Canada Business Councils to discuss recommendations and priorities of the private sector in the coming time, such as: strengthening investment and business facilitation, enhancing energy transformation and developing the digital economy, and promoting green supply chains, etc.

Participating in discussions at the meeeting, Vietnam proactively contributed ideas on economic cooperation issues between ASEAN and its partners as discussed in the ASEAN-EU Economic Ministerial Consultation, the negotiation situation of the ACaFTA Agreement, the signing of the ASEAN-WIPO Memorandum of Understanding, etc, to ensure practical goals and benefits such as strengthening the regional supply chain and sustainable economic development in the context of unpredictable changes in the world economy for Vietnam in particular and ASEAN in general.