Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Đặng Hoàng Giang. — VNA/VNS File photo An Đăng

MANILA — Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Đặng Hoàng Giang has highlighted key outcomes of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-59) and related meetings in Manila, the Philippines during July 20-24, including the lasting imprint Việt Nam left across nearly 20 sessions.

Speaking to Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reporters present in the Philippines, Giang said the meetings wrapped up successfully, adopting a raft of key documents that turned political commitments into practical cooperation.

Ministers welcomed progress in ASEAN cooperation over the first seven months and agreed to fast-track the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and priorities of the 2026 Chairmanship Year, Giang said.

They vowed to deliver on pledges made at the 48th ASEAN Summit and fully carry out the leaders’ declaration on responding to the Middle East crisis.

ASEAN deepened and widened its external relations, with more partners seeking to establish or upgrade ties and boost their role in ASEAN-led mechanisms.

The bloc admitted Turkey as its 12th Dialogue Partner, approved Germany and Qatar as Sectoral Dialogue Partners, and greenlit the UK’s entry into the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

"The moves underscore ASEAN’s rising pull and central role as a hub for aligning interests, coordinating cooperation and shaping regional processes," Giang said.

Celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) reaffirmed the lasting relevance of ASEAN’s norms and principles, he said, with participants calling the TAC the foundational code guiding relations among countries both within and outside the region.

The accession of Romania, Poland, Sweden and Lithuania pushed the number of TAC High Contracting Parties to 62, and more interest from other nations demonstrated the treaty’s enduring vitality and role, he said.

Giang also pointed to the Mekong-Japan and Mekong-RoK foreign ministers’ meetings, which reaffirmed long-term partner commitment to Mekong sub-regional cooperation.

The discussions zeroed in on shared challenges, particularly energy security and cybercrime, while delivering practical benefits to citizens and businesses across the Mekong and supporting the ASEAN community-building process.

On Việt Nam's participation, Giang said the delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Hoài Trung embodied the foreign policy line of the 14th National Party Congress by acting proactively, responsibly and with leadership inside ASEAN.

“Việt Nam didn’t just attend, but also proactively shaped debates and contributed solutions”, he said.

Việt Nam worked closely with the Philippines – this year's ASEAN Chair – and other member states to build unity and consensus, while backing the effective rollout of the Chair’s priorities and initiatives and putting forward a raft of proposals to bolster ASEAN’s resilience, cohesion and connectivity.

As the only ASEAN member now coordinating ties with two Dialogue Partners, the country made notable contributions to advancing regional cooperation with both the UK and New Zealand, Giang added.

Việt Nam chaired negotiations that resulted in the adoption of the ASEAN-UK Plan of Action 2027-31 and the ASEAN-UK Joint Ministerial Statement on Cooperation on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), and also helped forge ASEAN consensus on admitting the UK as the ARF’s 28th member.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Đặng Hoàng Giang (third left) represents Việt Nam at the plenary session of AMM-59 on July 21 in Manila, the Philippines. — VNA/VNS Photo

The country also led negotiations and secured the adoption of the ASEAN-New Zealand Joint Statement on Strengthening Regional Resilience, while pushing for the rollout of the ASEAN-New Zealand Plan of Action 2026-30, with an emphasis on quality over quantity.

Việt Nam also actively contributed to the East Sea (intenationally known as the South China Sea) discussions, stressing the need to maintain peace, security and stability, while ensuring ASEAN's principled stance on the issue was fully reflected in the documents.

Co-chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs Trung, the 17th Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting agreed to resume the Mekong-Japan Summit at the earliest suitable opportunity.

"The minister held around 15 bilateral meetings with counterparts," Giang said, adding that partners praised Việt Nam's growing role, international standing and development record, calling the country an increasingly important global and regional player.

Many expressed strong interest in Việt Nam's ambitious reform agenda, achievements after 40 years of Đổi mới (reform), and its development vision through 2030 and 2045.

The discussions reflected a shift in bilateral ties from establishing cooperation frameworks toward following agreements and delivering tangible outcomes.

Giang said the conversations highlighted diplomacy’s growing role in marshaling external resources to back national development.

Việt Nam also shared its experience in upgrading its market economy framework, fostering private sector development and overhauling its growth model, helping partners pinpoint future cooperation areas that match the country's priorities and their own strengths.

Another standout outcome, Giang said, is growing recognition of Việt Nam's role and credibility within ASEAN and the broader international community.

"Việt Nam is widely seen as a balanced, responsible partner able to link external players with ASEAN while contributing to peace, stability, maritime security, freedom of navigation, respect for international law and collective responses to shared challenges," he said.

Those outcomes reflect Việt Nam's ongoing push to follow the foreign policy direction of the 14th National Party Congress, Resolutions 59 and 06, and other Politburo strategic resolutions by translating policy into concrete, practical results, he added. — VNA/VNS