Head of Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to ASEAN and Ambassador Nguyen Hoanh Nam (Source: VNA)
Jakarta (VNA) – Head of Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to ASEAN Ambassador Nguyen
Hoanh Nam highlighted the bloc’s achievements and Vietnam’s role in the process
during an interview recently granted to Vietnam News Agency.
Nam
said since its birth 50 years ago, ASEAN now groups 10 member states and plays
an increasingly important role in maintaining peace and stability in the
region.
ASEAN
is considered one of the vibrant and fast-growing economies in the world, with
the ASEAN Economic Community being the third largest in Asia and the sixth
largest in the world. Its gross domestic product neared 2.55 trillion USD. The
bloc is playing a guiding and central role in regional mechanisms and highly
appreciated by major countries and international organisations.
Since
its entry to ASEAN 22 years ago, Vietnam has actively and proactively joined
the grouping’s activities, including accelerating the admission of Laos,
Myanmar, and Cambodia, launching strategic policies and orientations to the
bloc’s cooperation.
Vietnam
has also actively contributed to fostering solidarity and upholding ASEAN’s
central role in maintaining peace and security in the region, including the
East Sea issue, he said, adding that Vietnam is one of the first countries to
take actions in the bloc’s plans and programmes to contribute to the formation
of the ASEAN Community today.
In
order to achieve goals set in the ASEAN Vision 2025, Nam said ASEAN needs to nurture
solidarity and seek common voice in addressing regional challenges while
boosting internal connectivity to effectively implement the Master Plan on 2025
Vision, the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025, the third working plan on
the ASEAN Connectivity Initiative.
In
external relations, the ambassador said ASEAN needs to take new approach to
strengthening ties with countries and organisations, continue to uphold central
role in the regional architecture, facilitate trade liberalisation and economic
integration, including the early formulation of several agreements on free
trade areas with partners.
According
to the Ambassador, Vietnam will continue contributing to ASEAN’s development
via specific initiatives and actions.
Vietnam’s
Permanent Mission to ASEAN will continue offering consultancies and take new
steps in the new context, he said.-VNA