Vietnam will officially undertake its role as ASEAN chair on January 1, 2020. It’s the second time the country has assumed the role since it joined the bloc in 1995.
Since joining ASEAN, Vietnam has always considered the bloc one of its top foreign affairs priorities.
In 2010, when chairing ASEAN for the first time, Vietnam carried out practical activities in human resources development, climate change response, and enhancing social welfare for women and children in ASEAN. The efforts showed that Vietnam was an active and proactive member in terms of integration into the region and the world.
Vietnam has chosen the theme “Cohesive and Responsive” for its 2020 tenure. The country has also set priorities to promote ASEAN’s contributions to the region’s peace, security and stability while promoting the ASEAN connectivity, strengthening partnerships for peace and sustainable development, and improving the adaptive capacity and effective role of the bloc.
2020 is a special year for both ASEAN and Vietnam. For ASEAN, it is the 5th year of the bloc’s community establishment. For Vietnam, 2020 is the 25th anniversary of its membership of the bloc. The success of the 2020 tenure is an 𓆉opportunity for Vietnam to show its capacity and promote its leading role, as well as meeting the expectations and beliefs of other ASEAN members and its partners./.
