Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc spoke at a meeting to review Việt Nam's 2020 ASEAN Chairmanship in Hà Nội on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — The success of the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020 showed Việt Nam is not only an active ASEAN member but also a strong, trustworthy and special mainstay, especially at a challenging time like the COVID-19 crisis, said Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc.

Addressing a conference of the ASEAN National Committee 2020 in Hà Nội on Friday to review the Việt Nam's chairmanship of the bloc, PM Phúc said on the back of strong will, determination and actions of the ASEAN Community, effective co-operation with partners and helmed by Việt Nam, the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020 had been a complete success with a record number of adopted documents and Việt Nam’s initiatives and priorities becoming a common asset of the bloc.

He highlighted success in ensuring security and safety as well as popularising the images of a peaceful and stable ASEAN Community and Viet Nam to international friends.

The PM also expressed his pride in the success of the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-41) and the eighth meeting of the Council of ASEAN Chief Justices (CACJ).

He said the adopted regional strategies were a hallmark of the success of the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020, adding that the theme 'Cohesive and Responsive' suits the circumstances, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He reviewed progress in the building of the ASEAN Community in the spirit of maintaining its central role. Under the direction of Việt Nam, ASEAN flexibly adapted to uncertainties. For the first time, the ASEAN Summit was held three times this year instead of twice.

According to him, ASEAN’s success has brought invaluable lessons in terms of pooling collective power not only on regional but also global scale in response to the common challenges of humankind.

With achievements throughout 2020, Việt Nam’s will, brainpower and stature had been clearly demonstrated, he said.

Throughout 25 years of entry to ASEAN, Việt Nam has made important contributions to the grouping and become a crucial member building rules in ASEAN and the region.

Looking back on ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020, PM Phúc mentioned several invaluable lessons, with the first and foremost being unified directions of the Party and State leaders and their close watch on national external activities this year, as well as tapping the collective power of the entire political system, social organisations and people to contribute to the success of the year.

The second one is the effective collaboration between the Government and National Assembly organs in organising AIPA-41 and ASEAN 2020.

The third lesson is upholding Việt Nam’s diplomatic identity by consistently pursuing goals while flexibly adopting strategies to turn risks into opportunities, together with sincerity and integrity for common benefits and responsibilities.

The fourth is active and thorough preparations in terms of agenda, reception, security and communications for the country’s major external activities.

The fifth is the importance of multilateral diplomacy and the role of ASEAN in Việt Nam’s external guideline of smoothly combining bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, tapping the effectiveness of multilateral events to deepen bilateral ties, and pooling international resources for national development. 

The sixth lesson is the harmonious combination of internal and external relations. The success of the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020 was greatly attributed to by Viet Nam's achievements in performing the dual tasks of controlling the pandemic and recovering socio-economic development, supporting businesses and taking care of people's lives.

Emphasising the success of the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020, the Prime Minister said this was a comprehensive success in all aspects, from content and reception work to security and healthcare. Information, communications, culture, and promotion were implemented methodically and effectively. In the 36th and 37th ASEAN Summits, there were no major incidents or errors on any front.

On behalf of the Government, PM Phúc praised all leaders, officers, soldiers, employees of ministries, departments, agencies from central to local levels, as well as businesses, sponsors, media agencies and people nationwide for their efforts to contribute to the success of the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020.

Amid complicated and unpredictable developments in the world and the region, and tough foreign relation tasks, the Government leader agreed with the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue promoting the success of the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020 to raise Vietnam's global position and boost its international economic integration.

Việt Nam should implement the priority tasks of ASEAN, especially initiatives put forth by the country during the chairmanship year, he said, adding it would work with other ASEAN countries to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and promote overall and sustainable economic recovery while taking advantage of opportunities brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

The PM said the success of the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020 was a new victory of the Party's multilateral foreign policy.

“This provides new vitality for us to confidently and proactively make greater victories in the process of deep and effective international integration,” he concluded. — VNS