Asean

ASEAN: A top priority in Vietnam’s multilateral diplomacy

“Vietnam sees ASEAN as a top priority, a cornerstone in its multilateral diplomacy policy,” said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the launching of the National ASEAN 2020 Committee. This is also the spirit of Directive No. 25-CT/TW of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat on promoting and enhancing the role of multilateral diplomacy to 2030.
“Vietnam wishes to make more practical contributions to the building and development of a united ASEAN Community that plays a central role in the region,” the Prime Minister said at the ceremony.

“The country is willing to do its utmost to make its ASEAN Chairmanship 2020 successful,” he stressed.

The government leader instructed relevant agencies to urgently make necessary preparations so that the country can fulfill this role, in terms of content, security, protocol, and promotion of national image.

In 2018, the ASEAN’s GDP reached nearly 3 trillion US dollars, making it one of the fastest growing economies in the world with a GDP size ranking 6th.

ASEAN has signed six free trade agreements with seven leading trade partners in the world and 91 countries have appointed their ambassadors to the bloc and 37 have joined the regional Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC). Annual ASEAN Summits have become major international events.


Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attends the launching ceremony of the National ASEAN 2020 Committee.
Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA


 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc receives a delegation from the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC)
led by USABC President and CEO Alexander Feldman during the latter’s working trip to Vietnam.
Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA


Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue chairs the 4th session of the National Steering Committee
on the ASEAN and National One-Stop-Shop (OSS) Customs Mechanisms and Trade Facilitation
to implement the tasks of 2019. Photo: Pham Hau/VNA


The sub-committee for contents of the National ASEAN 2020 Committee
convenes the first meeting with the chair of Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung. Photo: VNA


An international conference titled “ASEAN community: Identity and Centrality” held on March 19
by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Vietnam. Photo: Van Diep/VNA 
 

The 2019 ASEAN Tourism Award  ceremony 2019 held for the second time in Vietnam in Ha Long, Quang Ninh province.
Photo: Trung Nguyen/VNA


 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung, head of Vietnam’s ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM),
attends the ASEAN SOM in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Photo: VNA

 Senior Lieutenant General Phan Van Giang, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Minister of Defense
leads a high-ranking military delegation to attend the 16th ASEAN Chiefs of Defense Forces’ Meeting (ACDFM-16) in Thailand. Photo: VNA


 The Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
and the ASEAN India Business Council (AIBC) hold the 4th India - ASEAN Expo and Summit in New Delhi, India,
attracting over 200 enterprises from India and ASEAN. Photo: Huy Le/VNA


The 21st ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting took place in Brussels, Belgium in early January
with the participation of foreign officials from ASEAN member countries and 24 EU member countries. Photo: VNA


 Vietnamese Ambassador to Mexico Nguyen Hoai Duong assumed the position of Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Mexico City (ACMC)
on January 16. Photo: Viet Hung/VNA


The Ministry of Information and Communications and Binh Duong province open
an exhibition of photos and documentary films in the ASEAN community in Vietnam. Photo: Huyen Trang/VNA


The ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre)
was one of the first organizations that worked with the Indonesian Government to support local people
and ease impacts of the 7.5-magnitude quake in Indonesia on September 28, 2018. Photo: VNA 
 

The building of the ASEAN Community has allowed member countries to integrate faster into the regional development process and enhanced the bloc’s leading role for the benefits of ASEAN people while realizing the vision of an inclusive and people-centered community. 

“The 20-year development of ASEAN has been imprinted with Vietnam’s hallmarks and contributions,” the Prime Minister said. He stressed that the assumption of the ASEAN Chairmanship 2020 is both the responsibility and opportunity of the country to raise its role and position in the regional and international arenas.

With new position and strength, Vietnam expects to further promote its role to make more practical contributions to develop a resilient and innovative ASEAN toward a harmonious, increasingly prosperous, and responsible community.
 
Story: VNP - Photos: VNA

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