The 45th Maritime Transport Working Group Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (MTWG 45) kicked off on Tuesday morning in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Vietnam Maritime Administration, under the Ministry of Transport, serves as chair of the group and is hosting the meeting this year as per the rotating mechanism of ASEAN. 

Participants in the three-day meeting will discuss initiatives in maritime transportation recovery and sustainable development post-pandemic, the implementation of the 2022-23 action plan on the circulation of goods, and ship waste management.

Some participating delegates are also expected to put forward measures to apply smart technology to the maritime transportation sector.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Le Do Muoi, head of the Vietnam Maritime Administration, expressed his hope that ASEAN member states will continue their cooperation to help bolster the growth of the global maritime industry.

He affirmed that Vietnam boasts great growth potential in maritime transportation, with the maritime sector playing a vital role in the country’s socio-economic development.

The country has 34 seaports and 296 wharfs that are able to handle some 750 million metric tons of goods per year.

Last year, Vietnam’s seaport throughput reached 724 million metric tons.

“As an ASEAN member, we’re looking forward to joining hands with other members to seek measures to tighten our maritime transportation ties as well as new technologies to make the sector greener and more eco-friendly,” Muoi said.

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