Jakarta (VNA) - Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN EconomicCommunity for 2021-2024, Satvinder Singh, has affirmed that Vietnam is one ofthe strongest contributors to ASEAN’s dynamic, resilient economy andis a very critical partner for ASEAN’s integration.

He noted that Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) doubled from 155.8 billion USD in 2012 to 362.0 billion USD in 2021, and the country’s share of the bloc’s GDP has also increased from 6.5% a decade ago to 10.8% at present.

According to him, Vietnam is one of those economies in ASEAN that are contributing very significantly to the bloc’s stability and also providing a path forward foreconomic liberalisation, showing the way of how one can invite good qualitydirect foreign investments (FDI) into the country at the same time. 

Vietnam has been able to attract high and good quality FDInot only from China but also from many global multinationals who are lookingfor a new strategy for their ASEAN presence, said Satvinder. “All those kudosgo to your people, government, for having the resiliency to be able to adjustand to be able to take the opportunity of what’s coming”.

He went on to say that Vietnam is very globally competitiveand all its sectors are doing well.

The focus of Vietnam businesses and sectors should not bedomestic, their focus should be on how to grow regionally and internationally. Vietnamhas the potential to create the next generation of some of the largest unicornsthat we have seen in ASEAN, he added.

According to the ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General, the people,communities, regulators, the government must have a shared vision. To become animportant player in the region, it’s important to invest inintegrating the ASEAN region first.

“There is a huge potential for Vietnam to take a much moreactive interest in integrating in ASEAN and I believe that Vietnam is showingthe way. Vietnam has a very strong interest in opening its markets” he added.

Satvinder also said that Vietnam is not only working hard tointegrate into ASEAN but also integrating into the global platforms, and it iscurrently negotiating very effective bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs)with significant economic partners globally.

“Vietnam is on the right path and showing the rest of ASEANof what is needed to transform your economy, and how we can become regionallyand globally relevant. In this whole spirit of integration in ASEAN, Vietnam isin a position to make the best out of it,” he affirmed.

The ASEAN official also shared some recommendations for Vietnam and other regional countries to maintain stable growth, one of which is to integrate into ASEAN and work together. The countries also need to clearly define their economic priorities and better tap human resources./.