Deputy head of the Party Central Committee's Commission for External Relations Trương Quang Hoài Nam (left) and Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Kao Kim Hourn. — Photo asean.org

JAKARTA — Deputy head of the Party Central Committee's Commission for External Relations Trương Quang Hoài Nam and Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Kao Kim Hourn have compared notes on matters regarding the bloc’s cooperation and connectivity, as well as Việt Nam’s engagement in the grouping.

At their meeting in Jakarta on Thursday, Kao Kim Hourn spoke highly of Việt Nam's attaching importance to ASEAN and prioritising its engagement in the bloc.

The two sides exchanged views on opportunities and challenges facing ASEAN in the context of regional and global uncertainties, and that ASEAN is about to enter a new period after it completes the ASEAN Community Vision 2025.

They agreed on the importance of promoting cooperation, and maintaining solidarity and unity within ASEAN as well as its centrality, for a community strong in politics and closely linked in economy, and with harmony, for the sake of residents and businesses, and for peace, security, stability and development in the region and the world at large.

The Secretary General briefed the Vietnamese official on positive developments in the building of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and relevant plans.

Nam touched upon opportunities to step up cooperation between political parties of ASEAN member countries, and suggested the Secretary General continue supporting the Vietnamese officials who are working or wishing to work at the ASEAN Secretariat.

Việt Nam will continue its close coordination with other member countries to contribute to the ASEAN Community, he pledged. — VNS