Venezuela formally requested its adherence to the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), in accordance with note Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release.
According to the information, this request for membership stems from the meeting held by the Vice Minister for Asia, the Middle East and Oceania, Capaya Rodríguez, with Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), at the Jakarta city, capital of the Republic of Indonesia.
At the meeting, the Vice Minister highlighted the importance given by the Bolivarian Government to Asean, since “the approximation to this political agreement mechanism constitutes a strategic objective included in the National Development Plan of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.”
work closely
The Venezuelan diplomat highlighted the interest of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in working closely with the Asian bloc, because the principles upheld by the Venezuelan Government coincide with those established in the Charter of the asean«especially with regard to the equality of peoples, the defense of sovereignty, respect for territorial integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs of States».
For his part, the secretary general, Lim Joc Hoi, indicated that the areas that Asean develops with greater emphasis are health security, human training, the digital economy, resilience and free trade between the States parties and its external partners.
Likewise, he pointed out the relevance that the block of countries gives to the flow of information, for which he recommended keeping the Asean Committee in Venezuela, made up of the countries of the Association that have diplomatic representation in Caracas, informed about all the initiatives that Venezuela promote in its process of economic and social approximation to the association.
Vice Minister Rodríguez also pointed out at the meeting that market diversification is a priority for Venezuela, and in this regard, Southeast Asia has been given greater prominence.
Both parties, Rodríguez said, will be able to develop a relationship based on complementarity between the respective economies.
Productive approach
Vice Minister Capaya Rodríguez recalled the activities that Venezuela has been carrying out since 2018 in the search for a productive rapprochement between the member countries of the Association and high-ranking public officials, who at the Asean Conference in Venezuela find an ideal platform to obtain the data they require on that integration mechanism.
He took the opportunity to invite the Secretary General of Asean or a delegation to come to the country to obtain directly from the offices and entities all the information that the nations of the bloc wish to know, an approach that was positively welcomed by Lim Jock Hoi.
Training program
The Venezuelan Institute of Technology for Petroleum (Intevep) has prepared a training program in various areas and internships on hydrocarbons, training that will be offered to the 10 member countries of the organization and officials of the Asean General Secretariat, reported Vice Minister Rodriguez.
Similarly, he highlighted the work that is being developed in terms of connectivity and mobility through agreements with airlines that allow a greater connection with Venezuela, as a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean.
During the meeting, Rodríguez also indicated that Venezuela is closely following the importance given by Asean to the fight against Covid-19 pandemic.
asean
Established in 1967, Asean is made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The Government of Venezuela seeks to promote its political, economic and cultural ties with all Asean members, with priority in promoting trade and investment relations through mutually beneficial cooperation mechanisms.
