ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn. — VNA/VNS Photo Quang Anh

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam is an important pillar in terms of politics, diplomacy, security, socio-economy, and culture, which contributes to making ASEAN stronger, more resilient and dynamic, said ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn in a recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

The interview took place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia ahead of Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Tô Lâm’s state visit to Indonesia and official visits to the ASEAN Secretariat and Singapore from March 9-13.

Stressing the importance of Tô Lâm’s first official visit to the ASEAN Secretariat, Dr Kao described it as a historic milestone, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of Việt Nam’s ASEAN membership (1995-2025), and emphasised that the visit will reinforce Việt Nam’s central role in the bloc.

During the visit, Pary chief Tô Lâm is scheduled to deliver a policy speech to ASEAN Secretariat officials, ambassadors, permanent representatives from ASEAN member states, and representatives of ASEAN’s dialogue and development partners.

According to the ASEAN leader, the visit is of unprecedented importance, as Việt Nam has always played a very proactive and positive role in the bloc, and made ASEAN one of the top priorities in its foreign policy.

The visit also comes at a pivotal time as ASEAN nears the final phase of its ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and prepares to launch the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 in May, he said, expressing his belief that Party chief Tô Lâm’s visit would further enhance ASEAN’s image, credibility, and vision both regionally and globally.

Reflecting on Việt Nam’s 30-year journey within ASEAN, Dr Kao praised the country’s efforts in promoting peace, stability, security, and prosperity in the region, and in strengthening ASEAN’s external relations.

He described Việt Nam as a vital ASEAN member, with its development, transformation, and growth making significant contributions – across political, diplomatic, security, economic, cultural, and social fields – to strengthening the bloc’s resilience and dynamism.

Việt Nam has helped elevate ASEAN’s global profile by supporting the bloc’s efforts to expand its influence in the region. With a population of around 100 million and an abundant workforce, Việt Nam is an influential member of ASEAN, he affirmed.

As ASEAN moves towards adopting its 2045 Community Vision with four new strategic plans, Dr Kao highlighted Việt Nam’s consistent and proactive contributions across various sectors. He expressed confidence that Việt Nam, having made remarkable achievements over the past 30 years, would remain a key force in shaping a dynamic, creative, resilient, and people-centred ASEAN.

With ASEAN’s economy rising from the world’s ninth to fifth largest, the bloc aims to reach the fourth place by 2030 – a goal that Dr Kao said will require strong engagement from all member states, with Việt Nam playing a crucial part. — VNS