42nd ASEAN Summit: Việt Nam contributes ideas for an inclusive, resilient, growing community

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and leaders of ASEAN countries on Wednesday held dialogues with representatives from the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), ASEAN youth representatives, the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC), and the High-Level Task Force (HLTF) on the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and Post-2025.

Recognising the importance of ASEAN as the epicenter for regional growth, AIPA members pledged to work with member countries' governments to promote recovery, connectivity, integration, and inclusiveness.

In the face of complex geo-political shifts, AIPA stands ready to work with ASEAN to overcome difficulties and build a brighter future for the region.

With the theme of equitable and inclusive digital development in the region, ASEAN youth representatives recommended that governments quickly adapt to and embrace digital technology, set up forums to encourage the exchange of digital skills among ASEAN younger generations, in order to achieve inclusive digital transformation and improve the quality of the workforce.

They proposed four groups of solutions, including building digital infrastructure, improving digital education, supporting access to finance, and facilitating the participation of youth in the digital economy.

Meanwhile, ABAC delegates underlined that ASEAN is becoming a hub of growth, possessing many advantages such as annual economic growth of up to five per cent, being the world's third-largest labour market, its rich natural resources, digital economy growing strong, an open consumers' market with long-term prospects.

To fully utilise these advantages, ABAC recommended five priorities: facilitating investment and trade, enhancing food security, promoting health, digital transformation, and sustainable development. In addition, ABAC is drafting an ASEAN Business Roadmap to promote regional economic reform as a public-private partnership.

The HLTF on the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and Post-2025 presented the main elements of the vision to ASEAN leaders, with the overarching theme on the building of a cohesive, resilient, dynamic, inclusive, and adaptive ASEAN Community with effective response capacity and flexible adaptation to strategic shifts in the region and the world.

The HLTF also identified major trends affecting ASEAN and the challenges that ASEAN needs to address in the next phase, such as climate change, pandemics, development gaps, and ageing populations.

The delegates proposed some steps to build the ASEAN Vision Post-2025.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính praised the open, sincere, and substantive participation, contributions, and opinions shared by these groups.

In the dialogue with AIPA representatives, the Vietnamese Government leader proposed three orientations to enhance the effectiveness of coordination between legislative and administrative branches. Firstly, strengthening coordination to improve the legal framework and harmonisation of laws to remove barriers and bottlenecks, especially in trade and investment. Secondly, reviewing and enhancing legal frameworks to facilitate intra-regional labour mobility. Thirdly, amid the increasingly complicated regional and global developments, AIPA will need to continue to remain united and closely coordinate with ASEAN in protecting and promoting ASEAN's fundamental principles and shared stances, especially in respecting international norms and adhering to international law.

Expressing his pleasure during the dialogue with youth representatives, PM Chính highlighted the pioneering and vanguard role of the youth, encouraging young people to participate in addressing social issues, leading voluntary activities, and bringing positive changes to the community.

PM Chính affirmed Việt Nam's commitment to creating the most favourable conditions for ASEAN youth to develop, to get their voice across and heard, and to participate in deciding the future of the ASEAN Community.

PM Chính proposed turning the ASEAN Community into a "learning community" to develop skills for ASEAN youth and a "creative community" to nurture the entrepreneurship spirit and innovation in young people.

Regarding the proposals and recommendations of ABAC, PM Chính appreciated the role of the business community in promoting the facilitation of trade and investment, digital transformation, sustainable development, and inclusiveness.

To make a breakthrough for the ASEAN Economic Community, the Vietnamese Government leader proposed the "Three Together" orientation for businesses, including jointly improving the legal framework, jointly developing strategic infrastructure, and jointly building a high-quality workforce, especially in digital transformation, green transformation, and high technology.

Recognising the efforts of the HLTF, PM Chính urged the group to have breakthrough thinking, with a creative and flexible approach to identify strategic directions for ASEAN's development beyond 2025.

On Thursday, PM Chính together with ASEAN leaders are set to participate in the Retreat Session to discuss regional, international issues of mutual concerns.