Vietnam, ASEAN set community building goals

Vietnamese delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh presents Vietnam’s measures to implement ASEAN’s priorities and strengthen ASEAN’s relations with its partners.

The ASEAN Community was officially established in 2015. It’s a symbol of unity, peace, and development. Over the last 3 years, the ASEAN Community has gained major achievements in political-security, economic, and socio-cultural pillars.

Positive signs of community building

Aiming to build a rules-based, people-oriented, people-centred ASEAN Community, the Master Plan on building an ASEAN Community Vision 2025 has effectively implemented activities, contributing to regional peace, security, and stability, and strengthened ASEAN’s external relations and institutional capability.

Mechanisms formed and chaired by ASEAN, including the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus, have formed a principle of dialogue and cooperation to build a sustainable, transparent, and flexible regional structure while promoting ASEAN’s central role.

Economic cooperation has been carried out with many trade liberalization and facilitation measures to reduce costs and improve cooperation within the community. ASEAN has connected with other economic partners by upgrading current FTAs and signing new agreements.

To grasp opportunities of the 4th industrial revolution, the ASEAN Declaration touches upon encouraging cooperation to help start-ups, accessing loans for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, and connecting economic zones and eco-tourism complexes.

Socio-cultural cooperation has targeted vulnerable groups such as migrant workers, elderly people, and children with disability. Some countries have approved activities to protect the rights of migrant workers within ASEAN and agreements on women and adolescents.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nguyen Quoc Dung, said “Achievements show that ASEAN cooperation has progressed; internal connectivity remains a common priority; and united power has been the main tool for ASEAN to obtain its goals. ASEAN remains an important partner of world powers.”

Vietnam’s contributions to common goals

Since the establishment of the ASEAN Community, Vietnam and ASEAN members have actively and strictly implemented commitments and initiatives. Vietnam is one of two countries that have implemented the biggest number of priorities set by the master plan for building the ASEAN Economic Community.

“Vietnam has proactively developed security mechanisms through building trust and a code of conduct. Vietnam’s initiatives and ideas have been adopted and implemented, including an initiative to build trust and a cooperative mechanism. Vietnam and other countries have reviewed commitments on trade, commodities, services, and investment to facilitate trade and develop e-commerce”, said Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung.

As an active and responsible member, Vietnam will participate in all activities of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and contribute ideas to promote common priorities, narrow development gaps, enhance internal trade, attract investment, promote tourism, and strengthen relations between countries.

ASEAN has a strategic importance in Vietnam’s foreign policy. A successful ASEAN Community will contribute to the sustainability and prosperity of Vietnam and other ASEAN members.