ASEAN emerges as a key player in a changing world, says ambassador

Ambassador Nguyen Hai Bang, permanent representative of Vietnam to ASEAN, made the confirmation during an interview recently granted to VOV ahead of the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related meetings due to take place in Jakarta, Indonesia, from September 5-7.

ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth

According to the ambassador, the ASEAN Community continues to uphold the spirit of solidarity and pursue its development strategy till 2045 as evidenced in statements approved in 2023, including the ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on The Development of The ASEAN Community's Post-2025 Vision, and the ASEAN Leaders' Statement on Strengthening ASEAN’s Capacity and Institutional Effectiveness. 

These documents, Bang said, ensure continuity of the Hanoi Declaration on the ASEAN Community’s Post – 2025 Vision, affirming the spirit of the grouping’s solidarity in joining hands to build a truly people-centred and people-oriented community.

In addition, ASEAN is gradually asserting its role as the epicenter of regional growth which is the main priority of Indonesia - the Chairman of ASEAN 2023 as prescribed in its theme throughout the year “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth”.

Compared to the overall picture of the global economy, ASEAN continues to be a bright spot with a positive growth forecast at 4.7% this year, backed by strong domestic consumption, and export and service recovery. Cooperation is promoted in areas such as financial stability, supply chain resilience, health care, energy security, food security, electric vehicle ecosystem development, and the use of local currencies in transactions, contributing to improving ASEAN’s capacity and readiness to respond and withstand challenges at present and in future.

ASEAN member states also show their determination to effectively implement the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, encouraging partners to cooperate specifically and practically with the grouping in various priority fields such as connectivity, maritime cooperation, sustainable and economic development, and community building efforts. The ASEAN - Indo-Pacific forum to be held during the upcoming 43rd ASEAN Summit is expected to be one of the important results this year for ASEAN.

Bang noted that ASEAN attaches importance to maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the region in order to spur economic growth. So far this year, ASEAN countries have discussed emerging issues of current concern both regionally and globally, and agreed on behavioural directions and practical contributions to solutions, thereby affirming the grouping’s role, prestige and responsibility amidst complications.

Practical contributions of Vietnam

In this context, the ambassador said Vietnam has made many important contributions to the overall success of ASEAN meetings during the year. The message that Vietnam wants to convey this year is the spirit of ASEAN solidarity and determination to make a real and effective contribution to the building of the ASEAN Community. This message demonstrates the consistent policy of the Vietnamese Party and State, considering ASEAN an important and inseparable part of its foreign policy.

Firstly, Vietnam always supports a united, developed, and strong ASEAN that acts as a nuclear force in maintaining peace and stability in Southeast Asia and beyond, including Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific regions.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, during the recent 42nd ASEAN Summit, clearly stated that solidarity is invincible strength, which must be demonstrated through specific will and actions. He stressed that strengthening solidarity and unity is a fundamental task for an independent and self-reliant ASEAN.

Secondly, Vietnam joins other countries in speeding up the ASEAN Community building process, maintaining solidarity, promoting ASEAN’s central role and strengthening its principled stance in international and regional issues. Vietnam’s initiatives are described as harmonious and balanced, contributing to both reconciling differences between countries and promoting intra-bloc cooperation, as well as cooperation between ASEAN and its partners.

Thirdly, one of Vietnam’s important milestones is promoting regional connectivity in all three aspects: institutions, infrastructure and people, with a view to removing cooperation bottlenecks and unlocking development potential, contributing to ASEAN’s growth goals. PM Chinh highlighted these three strategic breakthroughs during the 42nd ASEAN Summit, aiming to create stronger momentum for ASEAN in the coming decades.

Furthermore, the ambassador said Vietnam also promotes efforts to narrow the development gap, especially in remote, isolated and sub-regional areas.

43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings

The coming 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings is of great significance to ASEAN and its partners. These meetings will give ASEAN leaders the chance to review and chart a new course for the grouping’s future development, including major trends in relations, creating a premise for future cooperation.

According to the ambassador, ASEAN will continue to strengthen solidarity, independence, self-reliance and strategic autonomy, to maintain its position, role and image in the region and the world. It will be the central force in consolidating peace, and maintaining stability and cooperation in Southeast Asia as well as broader Asia - Indo-Pacific regions.

The bloc will affirm its role as the center of regional growth through cooperation in many fields such as trade, investment, green growth, digital transformation, food security, energy security and climate change response.

The process of building the ASEAN Community will continue to be stepped up under its vision to 2045, giving top priority to serving people’s interests as expressed through promoting gender equality and assistance to people with disabilities, among others.

In relations with its partners, ASEAN will continue to affirm its central role by maintaining a balanced approach, consulting its partners about issues of mutual concern, and ensuring compliance with basic principles, processes and procedures of ASEAN.

As the agency tasked with negotiating many documents throughout the year, the Vietnamese Delegation to ASEAN has actively contributed to major documents to be adopted at the coming 43rd ASEAN Summit, including the joint statement. These contributions have highly been highly appreciated by other countries, thereby helping to strengthen the image, role and position of Vietnam in ASEAN, concluded the ambassador.