Vietnam attends meetings of ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee

During the third meeting of the ACCC this year, countries welcomed the progress made in the implementation of the ASEAN Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025, although a number of projects continue to raise difficulties in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Participants spent time to discuss a range of measures aimed at rolling out the recommendations made by the Mid Term Review. They were also able to voice their opinions for the third draft of the Progress Review Report for the MPAC 2025 which will be submitted to the 30th meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) scheduled for October.

Most notably, 14 out of 15 initiatives in the master plan’s strategic areas, including sustainable infrastructure, digital innovation, seamless logistics, regulatory excellence, and people’s mobility, are being carried out.

The fourth meeting on Monitoring, Review and Evaluation (MRE) of the MPAC 2025 witnessed the participation of numerous representatives from relevant agencies as part of the implementation of 15 initiatives in the MPAC 2025.

Due to the projects’ cross-sectoral and cross-pillar characteristics, MRE serves to promote cohesiveness between agencies whilst raising awareness of the need to share responsibilities in the implementation of initiatives and projects of the MPAC 2025. 

It also seeks to discuss and find solutions to various challenges and obstacles in the implementation of the MPAC 2025.

During the ACC Consultations with Dialogue Partners and Other External Partners on Connectivity, heads of ASEAN partner nations applauded the bloc’s efforts in the recent past to promote greater connectivity in the organisation and the region at large. 

They therefore pledged to further support ASEAN to carry out projects in the MPAC 2025 along with other plans. This can be done in order to accelerate the building of the ASEAN Community and connection between the bloc and its partners, thereby stepping up recovery and economic development in the region.

The countries will also examine ways in which to promote the MPAC 2025 in the backdrop of COVID-19, underlining that strategic fields of the plan are in line with the ASEAN recovery plan moving into the post-pandemic period.

At the 28th ASEAN Summit held in Vientiane, Laos, back in September 2016, ASEAN leaders adopted the MPAC 2025 with a vision of a seamless and comprehensive connected and integrated bloc.

The ACCC was established to oversee, assess, and make periodic reports to the ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) and the ASEAN Summit on situation and challenges in implementing the MPAC 2025.