ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn and Ton Thi Ngoc Huong (L), the new ambassador and permanent representative of Vietnam to the bloc, at their meeting in Jakarta on May 13. — VNA/VNS Photo

JAKARTA — Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Kao Kim Hourn has praised Việt Nam's contributions to building ASEAN Community at a meeting with Tôn Thị Ngọc Hương, the new ambassador and permanent representative of Việt Nam to the bloc in Jakarta on May 13.

He also lauded the nation’s proactive and coordinating role in ASEAN's foreign relations, particularly the dialogue relations between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

The Secretary-General expressed gratitude for Việt Nam's facilitation of his recent working visit to the country, during which he attended and delivered a speech at the ASEAN Future Forum (AFF), a significant initiative of Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính. He commended the initiative and showed his appreciation of Việt Nam's leading role in shaping the future of the bloc.

In reply, Hương said she hopes that the Secretariat and Secretary-General would further step up efforts to assist member countries in completing and effectively implementing goals set by the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, particularly bringing the community closer to the people and delivering tangible benefits to citizens and businesses.

She thanked the Secretariat and Secretary-General for their cooperation with and support for the Permanent Mission of Việt Nam, especially during its tenure of coordinating ASEAN-RoK relations.

She said she is looking forward to more assistance to Việt Nam in its upcoming rotating tasks within ASEAN. — VNS