Ambassador Nguyễn Hải Bằng, permanent representative of Việt Nam to ASEAN. — VNA/VNS Photo

JAKARTA — The Vietnamese delegation to the upcoming 42nd ASEAN Summit led by Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính 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 Nguyễn Hải Bằng, permanent representative of Việt Nam to ASEAN.

The ambassador said PM Chính 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, Bằng stated.

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

Việt Nam’s contributions in recent years have been appreciated and recognised by other ASEAN member countries, contributing to improving Việt Nam’s position and reputation in ASEAN. In that context, the attendance of the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation at 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 Việt Nam will contribute and support initiatives to improve institutional capacity and operational efficiency of ASEAN organs, and review the implementation process of the ASEAN Charter with a view of adjusting it in alignment with reality and the new situation of the region.

Việt Nam, 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, Bằng stated.

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.

Growth epicentre

Ambassador Vũ Hồ, acting head of the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) delegation of Việt Nam, said with the 2023 ASEAN theme of “ASEAN Matters: Epicentre of Growth”, the coming 42nd ASEAN Summit reflects member countries’ wish and efforts to turn the bloc into a growth epicentre that leads cooperation and connectivity processes in the region and contributes to the common goal of peace, stability, and prosperity.

He noted the organisation of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, an island with limited infrastructure but huge tourism potential and lying far from Jakarta capital, demonstrates member countries’ determination to join hands in promoting economic recovery in a sustainable and inclusive manner.

With the 2023 ASEAN theme and facing complex and unpredictable changes, leaders of member countries will focus on emerging regional and global issues, devise orientations for conduct, and seek solutions so as to affirm the bloc’s role, reputation, and sense of responsibility in the current context.

Hồ said that leaders of member countries will engage in a number of activities on this occasion, including a plenary session and a retreat. They will have dialogues with representatives of parliaments, the youth, and enterprises, along with the High-Level Task Force for the ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision.

This will be the first time ASEAN leaders have a dialogue with senior representatives of the task force to look into future orientations for the bloc after 2025, the diplomat went on.

Ambassador Hồ said the Vietnamese delegation will take part in the 42nd ASEAN Summit in an active, responsible, and creative manner to contribute to the event’s common success. — VNS