speakers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment attend the roundtable meeting on December 20.

HÀ NỘI — Experts shared experiences and insights about Việt Nam's relationships within ASEAN at a roundtable meeting in Hà Nội on December 20.

The event, entitled C asean Vietnam Group Sharing 2024: Vietnam in ASEAN, highlights the country's continuous efforts to enhance its role and contribution to the regional community.

The event is part of C asean Vietnam's Group Sharing series, which aims to promote dialogue and bring valuable perspectives on how Việt Nam continues to strengthen relationships and impact cooperation within ASEAN.

At the event, speakers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shared experiences and insights about Việt Nam's relationships within ASEAN, highlighting the country's continuous efforts to enhance its role and contribution to the regional community.

During the event, speakers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shared comprehensive and profound insights about Việt Nam's role since joining ASEAN and the country's dedicated journey in promoting regional stability, economic development, and strengthening ASEAN cooperation.

At the event, Phạm Quang Vinh, Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Former ASEAN SOM Leader of Việt Nam, emphasised Việt Nam's important contributions to ASEAN initiatives on trade, security, and sustainable development.

"Việt Nam has always been proactive and active in adjusting policies in alignment with ASEAN's vision to build a peaceful, prosperous, and united region," said Vinh.

Việt Nam and ASEAN have had many exchange activities in different fields, notably the environment with issues such as air pollution, plastic waste pollution, and climate change, according to Vinh.

Additionally, Phan Chí Thanh, Former Vietnamese Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, shared about Vietnam Town in Udon Thani, Thailand - the first Vietnam Town in the world. He suggested how Vietnamese embassies in ASEAN countries could consider strategies and activities to enhance cultural exchange with host countries.

Nguyễn Phương Hòa, Director General of International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, emphasised cultural cooperation programmes to promote exchange, artistic dialogue, and tourism development as one of the important pillars for connecting the ASEAN community.

“When Việt Nam chaired ASEAN, Việt Nam had many important initiatives and contributions in building an ASEAN community united in diversity, with people placed at the centtre. Việt Nam and ASEAN countries have participated in many cooperation projects to protect heritage and develop cultural industries such as cinema, art or music,” said Hòa.

Today, culture and sports are identified by ASEAN countries as connecting factors to promote the development of the tourism industry. In ASEAN, intra-regional tourism is the focus. Every year, ASEAN welcomes more than 100 million international visitors. Countries such as Thailand, Laos and Cambodia are one of Việt Nam's key markets and vice versa, Việt Nam also sends many visitors to the above countries, according to Hòa.

Lê Ngọc Tuấn, Director General of International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, also shared about notable cooperation activities in environmental protection implemented between Việt Nam and ASEAN countries.

He also discussed future strategies to enhance exchange and cooperation on blue ocean economy between Việt Nam and ASEAN.

The event emphasised the importance of regional dialogue while opening new perspectives on Việt Nam's continuous efforts in contributing to ASEAN's development and connectivity. Through the sharing session, C asean Vietnam aims to promote deep understanding and create strong momentum for developing a more cohesive and prosperous ASEAN community in the future. — VNS