Regarding Vietnam’s role in the 12th ASEAN Summit, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines Vu Xuan Truong said all ASEAN members hope that Vietnam will play a greater role in the ASEAN cooperation framework.
The following interview was conducted by a Voice of Vietnam Radio reporter with Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines Vu Xuan Truong on the remarkable results of the 12th ASEAN Summit which concluded in Cebu, the Philippines on January 13.
Reporter: What is your assessment of Vietnam’s role in the 12th ASEAN Summit in the Philippines?
Mr Truong: Vietnam’s important position in ASEAN is demonstrated through three elements: First, the country has maintained a rather high economic growth rate for consecutive years. Second, it has ensured political stability. Third, Vietnam’s integration process has developed strongly. All these elements have created a general strength for the country. All ASEAN members hoped that Vietnam will play a greater role in the ASEAN cooperation framework.
Reporter: How do ASEAN countries evaluate Vietnam’s initiatives aimed at building an ASEAN community and uniting ASEAN members to narrow the development gap among themselves.
Mr Truong: Reducing poverty and narrowing the development gap are the common aspirations of Vietnam and other ASEAN members. Even developed countries want to learn to bridge the development gap between themselves and other countries. Narrowing the development gap will benefit not only underdeveloped areas in poor countries but low-income and high-income earners in richer countries as well. And this final result will be to ensure social equality and balance people’s ideologies and ways of thinking. It is for the same purpose of marching forward together that Vietnam’s initiative has been accepted. Being the country with the highest development level among ASEAN members, Singapore has voiced its strong support for our initiative of narrowing the development gap.
Reporter: What is your assessment of the results obtained at the 12th ASEAN Summit, especially the most positive ones?
Mr Truong: This ASEAN Summit achieved many good results as a lot of agreements were signed and East Timor and France pledged to participate in the Friendly and Friendship Agreement with ASEAN countries. One of the positive results outside the ASEAN framework was the host country’s determination to make the 12th ASEAN a great success. Especially, all ASEAN Heads of State showed their determination to co-operate in fighting terrorism and maintaining stability in the region.
Reporter: Thank you very much.
