Vietnam’s contribution to regional development processes highly commended

The Vietnamese delegation led by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the events with a high sense of responsibility and made substantial contributions to its overall success and to ASEAN’s cooperation and with its partners. The nation’s efforts serving common development processes of the bloc have earned recognition by ASEAN members.

Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Meynardo Los Banos Montealegre said Vietnam has been very actively involved in the ASEAN region and made political and economic progress since it joined the association 27 years ago.

“It is a reliable contributor in the maintenance of peace and stability in the ASEAN region through its adherence to and promotion of international law and multilateralism, and for integrating with fellow ASEAN states and other Asia Pacific countries,” said the diplomat.

According to him, Vietnam has hosted several ASEAN meetings and summits and is about to host more ASEAN-related ministerial meetings. It has also successfully fulfilled its role as ASEAN Chair in 2010 and in 2020 and as coordinator between the bloc and key partner countries.

“Domestically, I am also impressed with the vibrant and dedicated programmes and projects implemented by many Vietnamese provinces that encourage ASEAN cohesiveness and awareness among its people,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Nikorndej Balankura stated that Vietnam has always made meaningful contributions to building an equal, strong, and inclusive ASEAN Community for harmony, peace, and prosperity in the region.

He said: “During Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020, under the theme of ‘Cohesive and Responsive’, Vietnam emphasised the importance of ASEAN solidarity and centrality, strong and constructive engagement with ASEAN partners, and strengthening connectivity, whether in terms of economic integration through the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) or building and enhancing ASEAN mechanisms to be more proactive, especially when facing regional and global challenges.

These are stances that Vietnam still places at the forefront of its vision for ASEAN, which points to Vietnam’s consistency and dedication toward a prosperous ASEAN Community for our region”.

Sharing the same view, Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Sengphet Houngboungnuang said since joining ASEAN, both Laos and Vietnam have significantly contributed to building the bloc into a region with high, constant economic growth and a peaceful society.

According to the ambassador, the countries have supported each other in socio-economic development and investment promotion in respective countries, contributing to developing the bloc in a sustainable and stable manner.

The two countries have also played a proactive role in the drafting of many important documents in ASEAN, and especially in the building of the ASEAN Community with the three pillars of the Political-Security Community, the Economic Community and the Socio-Cultural Community.

Over the past time, apart from cooperation within the framework of ASEAN, the two countries have coordinated and cooperated closely in the ASEAN Sub-region, and participated in Mekong cooperation frameworks such as the Greater Mekong Sub-region and the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), the ambassador said.

He noted that those important mechanisms have contributed to reducing poverty, raising people’s living standards, spurring economic growth, and promoting trade and investment ties as well as people-to-people exchanges between countries in the ASEAN region and the world at large.