Jakarta (VNA) – Party General Secretary To Lam's official visit to the ASEAN Secretariat reaffirms Vietnam’s strong commitment to ASEAN amidst the bloc’s transition towards delivering on its development visions.

Ambassador Ton Thi Ngoc Huong, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to ASEAN, told the Vietnam News Agency said Lam’s visit to the ASEAN Secretariat and headquarters marks a historic milestone as this is the first by a Vietnamese Party General Secretary. The timing is significant as Vietnam is celebrating three decades of its ASEAN membership while the bloc is completing the implementation of its Community Vision 2025 and preparing to adopt and implement the Community Vision 2045.

Over the past years, Vietnam has consistently demonstrated itself as an active and responsible member, fulfilling all membership obligations and contributing greatly to crafting ASEAN’s future development path, she said, underscoring Party chief Lam’s visit also affirms how Vietnam respects ASEAN in its foreign policy.

According to the ambassador, the visit will open new avenues for cooperation between Vietnam and other ASEAN member states, as well as between Vietnam and ASEAN's dialogue partners, contributing to the shared goal of building a strong, dynamic, and prosperous ASEAN Community as a common home for 670 million people in the region.

Vietnam's 30-year ASEAN journey has been marked by its chairmanship in 1998, 2010, and most recently in 2020. In this pivotal role, Vietnam helped ASEAN establish important development directions through various transitional phases while overcoming significant challenges, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which severely impacted regional countries and the ASEAN Community. The country’s successes have been recognised by other ASEAN member states and the bloc’s partners.

The diplomat laid stress on Vietnam’s active participation in shaping ASEAN's key development directions, including the 1998 Hanoi Plan of Action shortly after joining ASEAN, the ASEAN Vision 2020, the decision in 2003 to form the ASEAN Community, the development and adoption of the ASEAN Charter in 2007, the completion of the ASEAN Community in 2015, and the promotion of ASEAN Outlook on the Indo – Pacific.

Besides, as the coordinator for ASEAN's relations with many important partners, Vietnam has contributed numerous ideas and initiatives to deepen and expand substantive cooperation. Vietnam currently serves as coordinator for two ASEAN dialogue partners, namely New Zealand and the UK.

Huong said in the framework of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN, Vietnam has worked with other ASEAN permanent missions and the ASEAN Secretariat to enhance the effectiveness of coordination, monitoring, and implementation of cooperation agreements, programmes, and projects of ASEAN as well as those between the bloc and its partners.

As ASEAN looks towards implementing the Community Vision 2045, Vietnam will continue intensifying efforts with other member states to build a sustainable, innovative, dynamic and people-centred bloc amidst rapid and unpredictable developments in the region and the world.

The vision, expected to be adopted this year, will serve as the guiding development document for ASEAN over the 20-year period from 2025 to 2045, Ambassador Huong explained. This comprehensive vision will encompass specific strategic plans to implement cooperation across the three pillars of the ASEAN Community - the Political-Security Community, Economic Community, and Socio-Cultural Community, reinforced by strategic plans for connectivity and narrowing development gaps within ASEAN.

Realising the vision requires substantial work and commitment in terms of both political will and resources from ASEAN member states, she said, highlighting Vietnam will coordinate closely with other countries to ensure all objectives and action lines are implemented at both regional and national levels.

Huong expressed her confidence that with the 30-year milestone and the foundations Vietnam has built through its contributions to ASEAN, its role and voice within the organisation will continue to be enhanced, gaining recognition from both ASEAN countries and the international community./.