Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Becoming a member of the Associationof Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has brought about great benefits to Vietnamin various fields, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung.
Dung, who is head of Vietnam’s SOM ASEAN, granted aninterview to the media on the occasion of the 25-year ASEAN membership ofVietnam and important benefits that Vietnam has enjoyed from the ASEANCommunity.
First of all, the ASEAN membership makes it possible forVietnam to boost fast and sustainable growth thanks to a peaceful and stableenvironment for development, while helping Vietnam expand partnerships withmore countries and territories in the word, widening the market and attractingmore resources, he said.
Secondly, Vietnam has been supported to enhance its capacityto better integrate into the bloc and the world, as well as boost its reformand institution perfection towards the regional and international standards.
Thirdly, becoming an ASEAN member has increased the positionand role that Vietnam plays in the international arena, while helping thecountry become more confident to join international playgrounds, he said.
Vietnam has become an active member of not only ASEAN but alsothe international community, he said, adding that from mere participation, Vietnamhas been strong and confident enough to engage in international integration,making practical contributions to common work of the globe.
The Deputy FM said that the past 25 years witnessed greatchanges of ASEAN and Vietnam. The association has become a successful, dynamicand creative organisation and the fifth largest economy of the world.
Meanwhile, Vietnam, from a backward and subsidy economy hasturned into a middle-income country with dynamic market economy and activeregional and international integration.
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Vietnam has been an active and responsible member of ASEANwith close coordination with other members to deal with emerging challenges aswell as strategic issues related to peace, development and prosperity of thegrouping, thus enhancing the position of both the association and Vietnam inthe region and the world.
Regarding major contributions that Vietnam has made to thebloc, Dung said that Vietnam, ranking third in population and fourth in area inthe Southeast Asian region, has helped ASEAN become stronger in resources,scale and organisation, contributing to putting an end to skeptics andconflicts, and opening a new development era of peace, stability, cooperationand development.
Moreover, Vietnam has actively engaged in and contributed tothe building of growth orientation and major decisions of the ASEAN, includingthe ASEAN Charter, the ASEAN Community 2025 Vision and Master Plans, as well asthe ASEAN Master Plan on Connectivity, and Initiative of ASEAN Integration,stated the Deputy FM.
He held that Vietnam has also made active and responsibleengagement in the implementation of joint decisions of ASEAN.
Vietnam has fully and intensively rolled out cooperationactivities in politics-security, culture-society and economy, while chairingmany events.
Vietnam is among countries with a high ratio of realisingeconomic connection programmes and measures, noted the diplomat.
He said that after only three years of joining theassociation, Vietnam successfully organized the sixth ASEAN Summit in Hanoi in1998 and showed good performance as ASEAN Chair in 2010.
Besides, the country has also contributed to shaping,reinforcing and developing ASEAN-formed and -led institutions, including the EastAsia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus. Vietnam alsocampaigned to become a representative of ASEAN at the G-20 Summits in theRepublic of Korea and Canada.
Deputy FM Dung asserted that factors that lead to ASEAN’ssuccess include consensus among members without interfering in each other’sinternal affairs, along with mutual respect, and firm steps suitable to thecapacity, ensuring the equality in both interest and obligation, and makingsure that all members feel their voice in the decision-making process with noone left behind.
He highlighted the geo-strategic location of ASEAN at thecentre of a massive region connecting the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, whichgives the grouping an important position in international relations in closeconnection with interests of many world powers.
With a population of over 650 million, ASEAN is a potentialmarket and a bright spot in the world economic picture, he said, adding that in2050, the association is forecast to become the fourth largest economy in theworld.
The third factor for the association’s success is its aspirationsand efforts to build a neutral and peaceful region where all countries withdifferent political systems, development levels, cultures and religions cancooperate with each other, ensuring security, stability and maintenance ofeconomic growth, said Dung.
He also underscored the significance of the grouping’ssuccess in building mechanisms and playgrounds that draw active engagement ofcountries, especially major ones, thus forming and sharing the regionalarchitecture. More and more outside partners have shown their hope to establishpartnership with ASEAN and join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), headded.
Mentioning the orientations for ASEAN development until 2025and beyond, Deputy FM Dung said that amidst rapid, complex and unpredicted changesof the region and the world, ASEAN must be succeed in building a cohesive,self-resilient and strong community.
To this end, the grouping should enhance intra-blocconnections through common interests, renovation and reinforcement of currentcooperation foundations and institutions.
ASEAN should reinforce and promote its central role in theregion. An association with solidarity and unity is a key factor helping itmaintain the role as well as balance its relationship with partners, said Dung.
He stressed that ASEAN’s development orientations aresuitable to Vietnam’s policy. ASEAN is always among top priorities in Vietnam’sexternal policy, he stated, adding that Vietnam will enjoy benefits from thegrouping and continue to give initiatives and orientations to contribute to thecommunity building at the same time.
A strong and self-resilient ASEAN Community will be a firmback for Vietnam to overcome difficulties in the future, he concluded./.
Vietnam has been an active and responsible member of ASEANwith close coordination with other members to deal with emerging challenges aswell as strategic issues related to peace, development and prosperity of thegrouping, thus enhancing the position of both the association and Vietnam inthe region and the world.
Regarding major contributions that Vietnam has made to thebloc, Dung said that Vietnam, ranking third in population and fourth in area inthe Southeast Asian region, has helped ASEAN become stronger in resources,scale and organisation, contributing to putting an end to skeptics andconflicts, and opening a new development era of peace, stability, cooperationand development.
Moreover, Vietnam has actively engaged in and contributed tothe building of growth orientation and major decisions of the ASEAN, includingthe ASEAN Charter, the ASEAN Community 2025 Vision and Master Plans, as well asthe ASEAN Master Plan on Connectivity, and Initiative of ASEAN Integration,stated the Deputy FM.
He held that Vietnam has also made active and responsibleengagement in the implementation of joint decisions of ASEAN.
Vietnam has fully and intensively rolled out cooperationactivities in politics-security, culture-society and economy, while chairingmany events.
Vietnam is among countries with a high ratio of realisingeconomic connection programmes and measures, noted the diplomat.
He said that after only three years of joining theassociation, Vietnam successfully organized the sixth ASEAN Summit in Hanoi in1998 and showed good performance as ASEAN Chair in 2010.
Besides, the country has also contributed to shaping,reinforcing and developing ASEAN-formed and -led institutions, including the EastAsia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus. Vietnam alsocampaigned to become a representative of ASEAN at the G-20 Summits in theRepublic of Korea and Canada.
Deputy FM Dung asserted that factors that lead to ASEAN’ssuccess include consensus among members without interfering in each other’sinternal affairs, along with mutual respect, and firm steps suitable to thecapacity, ensuring the equality in both interest and obligation, and makingsure that all members feel their voice in the decision-making process with noone left behind.
He highlighted the geo-strategic location of ASEAN at thecentre of a massive region connecting the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, whichgives the grouping an important position in international relations in closeconnection with interests of many world powers.
With a population of over 650 million, ASEAN is a potentialmarket and a bright spot in the world economic picture, he said, adding that in2050, the association is forecast to become the fourth largest economy in theworld.
The third factor for the association’s success is its aspirationsand efforts to build a neutral and peaceful region where all countries withdifferent political systems, development levels, cultures and religions cancooperate with each other, ensuring security, stability and maintenance ofeconomic growth, said Dung.
He also underscored the significance of the grouping’ssuccess in building mechanisms and playgrounds that draw active engagement ofcountries, especially major ones, thus forming and sharing the regionalarchitecture. More and more outside partners have shown their hope to establishpartnership with ASEAN and join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), headded.
Mentioning the orientations for ASEAN development until 2025and beyond, Deputy FM Dung said that amidst rapid, complex and unpredicted changesof the region and the world, ASEAN must be succeed in building a cohesive,self-resilient and strong community.
To this end, the grouping should enhance intra-blocconnections through common interests, renovation and reinforcement of currentcooperation foundations and institutions.
ASEAN should reinforce and promote its central role in theregion. An association with solidarity and unity is a key factor helping itmaintain the role as well as balance its relationship with partners, said Dung.
He stressed that ASEAN’s development orientations aresuitable to Vietnam’s policy. ASEAN is always among top priorities in Vietnam’sexternal policy, he stated, adding that Vietnam will enjoy benefits from thegrouping and continue to give initiatives and orientations to contribute to thecommunity building at the same time.
A strong and self-resilient ASEAN Community will be a firmback for Vietnam to overcome difficulties in the future, he concluded./.
VNA
