Vietnam to contribute important ideas at 42nd ASEAN Summit: Ambassador

The Vietnamese delegation to the upcoming 42nd ASEAN Summit led by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will contribute many important ideas to promote ASEAN cooperation and contribute to the overall success of the summit slated for May 9-11 in Indonesia, according to Ambassador Nguyen Hai Bang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to ASEAN.

The ambassador said PM Chinh will engage in many multilateral cooperation activities and actively contribute specific ideas to the bloc’s joint efforts to build the ASEAN Community until 2025, and the ASEAN Community Vision from 2024 to 2034.

The PM has a busy working agenda, including participation in the summit’s meetings and bilateral meetings with leaders of other ASEAN countries to strengthen bilateral cooperation, Bang stated.

Since joining ASEAN, Vietnam has always been an active and responsible member, which is ready to lead and make great contributions to the development of ASEAN, especially in community building.

Vietnam's contributions in recent years have been appreciated and recognised by other ASEAN member countries, contributing to improving Vietnam's position and reputation in ASEAN. In that context, the attendance of the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation in this summit is of great significance, contributing to finding a common voice of ASEAN in international and regional issues of shared concern while recognising and respecting possible differences in viewpoints and national interests among members.

Regarding community building, the diplomat said that Vietnam will contribute and support initiatives to improve institutional capacity and operational efficiency of ASEAN organs, review the implementation process of the ASEAN Charter with a view of adjusting it in align with reality and the new situation of the region.

Vietnam, together with other ASEAN countries, will also make effective contributions to the building of ASEAN's vision after 2025. The goal is to ensure that ASEAN's community-building efforts are implemented smoothly and effectively across all three pillars of politics - security, economics and socio-culture, stated Bang.

As current emerging international and regional issues are also of great concern, directly affecting ASEAN, the task of the Vietnamese delegation is to give opinions and propose initiatives to build a common stance and ensure solidarity and unity of the bloc. Only then can ASEAN maintain its central role and image in international forums, the Vietnamese representative added.