Vietnam has made specific contributions to the development of the pillars of the ASEAN Community as well as the building of the ASEAN Vision 2025, said Dr. Nguyen Hong Hai, a lecturer of Queensland University of Technology’s School of Justice in Australia.

In the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC), Vietnam has shown active engagement in building and approving basic documents, laying the foundation for the development of the community. They include the Declaration of ASEAN Concord (Bali Concord II) in 2003, and the ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint 2025 in 2016, said Hai.

Hai highlighted the core goals of the APSC in building a rule-based, people-oriented and people-centred community, ensuring a region of peace, security and stability, promoting the association’s centrality and strengthening institutional capacity and the presence of the association.

He held that Vietnam has made great efforts to realise these goals, including the country’s upholding of the UN Charter and international law, he said, adding that this is suitable and consistent with Vietnam’s stance in building the ASEAN Charter.

The expert commented that Vietnam has shown strong performance in coordinating relations between ASEAN and its partners and representing the association in the forums.

Particularly, during its second term as a non-permanent member at the UN Security Council, Vietnam pushed the organisation of the council’s first discussion on the UN-ASEAN partnership and promoted the role and presence of the ASEAN in the council in settling regional issues.

Vietnam has actively and intensively engaged in the settlement of non-traditional security issues through its participation in ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms, especially in the areas of conflict prevention, counter-terrorism, transnational crime prevention and combat, cyber security, and ensuring maritime security as well as rescue and humanitarian assistance, said Hai.

Regarding the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), Hai underlined that Vietnam has pledged to carry out 95.5% of the commitments in the community’s blueprint, becoming one of the ASEAN members with the highest commitment implementation ratio only after Singapore.

As the ASEAN Chair in 2010, Vietnam successfully called on all members to issue a joint statement on recovery and sustainable development, affirming the country’s determination to build and reinforce the community.

During Vietnam’s term as ASEAN Chair in 2020, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was signed, creating a free trade area with the largest scale in the world with GDP accounting for about 30% of the global GDP and a market comprising one-third of the world population. All 10 ASEAN member countries have joined the pact.

Hai added that Vietnam is not only a foreign direct investment (FDI) magnet with a dynamic economy, but also a bridge and a gateway for investors to enter ASEAN.

Regarding the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), Vietnam acted as a pioneer in building the idea of forming the community, the expert noted. As the ASEAN Chair in 2010, Vietnam initiated and chaired the building of two important documents – the Hanoi Declaration on the Enhancement of Welfare and Development of ASEAN Women and Children, and ASEAN Leaders Statement on Human Resources and Skills Development for Economic Recovery and Sustainable Growth, which are priorities of the ASCC.

In 2020, as the ASEAN Chair for the second time, Vietnam chaired the build of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the ASCC Blueprint 2025, which are significant for the development of the community in the future.

According to Hai, Vietnam’s contributions are also shown by its hosting of many important events of the ASCC.

 Vietnam has maintained its motto of being proactive, active and responsible in making contributions to the growth of ASEAN, which is a consistent policy of Vietnam towards the association, Hai emphasised.

VNA