ASEAN has a successful year 2023 with many outstanding marks

On December 27, Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet chaired an inter-sectoral meeting to review ASEAN cooperation, Vietnam's participation in 2023 and orientations for 2024.

ASEAN có một năm 2023 thành công với nhiều dấu ấn nổi bật

Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet chaired an inter-sectoral meeting to review ASEAN cooperation, Vietnam's participation in 2023 and orientations for 2024. (Photo: Anh Son)

Nearly 80 delegates representing ministries/departments/sectors attended the Conference.

Reviewing ASEAN's activities over the past year, Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet affirmed that ASEAN will continue to have a successful 2023 with many outstanding achievements.

This is especially meaningful in the context of ASEAN being strongly affected by many complex and unpredictable fluctuations in the international and regional environment.

Faced with the intertwining movement of opportunities and challenges, ASEAN has demonstrated its ability to flexibly adapt, gradually adjusting to proactively grasp and take advantage of new trends to serve the goal of sustainable development.

Initiatives and frameworks such as the Carbon Neutrality Strategy, the ASEAN Blue Economy Framework, the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, and the regional electric vehicle ecosystem are innovative moves by ASEAN, both in thinking and action, to shape and lead new potential areas of cooperation in the region.

These are important premises for ASEAN to reach out and make breakthroughs in the future, as the message and aspiration that the 2023 Indonesian Chair and ASEAN countries conveyed in the theme " ASEAN Stature: The Heart of Growth".

Another outstanding result in 2023 is that ASEAN basically completed the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 with the orientation of building a dynamic, creative, self-reliant and people-centered ASEAN.

ASEAN's foreign relations also recorded strong and substantive developments in cooperation between ASEAN and its partners, including ASEAN's establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership with Japan and upgrading to a strategic partnership with Canada.

ASEAN's role, voice and position are strengthened thanks to ASEAN's balanced, responsible and objective approach and behavior in international and regional issues, on the basis of consistent principled stance and efforts to contribute in good faith and sincerity to the common goal of peace, security, stability and development in the region and the world .

Summarizing Vietnam's participation over the past year, Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet welcomed ministries and sectors that have promoted the spirit of initiative, positivity, responsibility, and creativity, making practical contributions to ASEAN's success, which is of great significance to the country's overall foreign affairs achievements.

Vietnam's viewpoints, proposals and initiatives meet the common concerns and interests of countries and regions, contributing to strengthening solidarity and the central role of ASEAN, enhancing regional cooperation and connectivity, affirming the image of a peaceful and friendly, constructive and responsible Vietnam, always making every effort for the common work of the Community.

Sharing the results of ASEAN, representatives of ministries and sectors said that political-security cooperation contributes to ensuring a peaceful and secure environment favorable for development; economic, trade and investment cooperation consolidates a solid foundation in relations between countries, maintaining ASEAN's central position in the multilateral network in the region; socio-cultural cooperation deepens the spirit of solidarity, mutual support and sharing, towards realizing equitable and inclusive development, leaving no one behind.

Priorities, programs and action plans continue to be implemented according to schedule, bringing about important results in all areas of defense, security, justice, trade, finance, tourism, science and technology, labor, environment, education, public affairs, culture, people-to-people exchange, youth, etc.

In the overall results of ASEAN, Vietnam has made important contributions, successfully fulfilled its membership obligations in implementing the Master Plans for Community building, chaired many initiatives and activities, and successfully assumed many important responsibilities such as: Chair of the ASEAN Information Ministers' Meeting, ASEAN Disaster Management Ministers' Meeting, ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting on Education, Senior Officials' Meeting on Social Welfare and Development, co-chaired the Working Group of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus on peacekeeping, etc.

Many Vietnamese ideas such as the Corporate Sustainability Index have been spread and become a common project of ASEAN.

Delegates attending the meeting. (Photo: Anh Son)

Also at the meeting, the ASEAN Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Secretariat for ASEAN, updated information for ministries and branches on the Politburo's issuance of Conclusion No. 59-KL/TW dated August 8, 2023 on Vietnam's orientation for participating in ASEAN by 2030.

This is the first comprehensive directive document of the Politburo on Vietnam's participation since Vietnam joined ASEAN in 1995, aiming to unify awareness of the importance of ASEAN, orientate to improve efficiency and promote Vietnam's role in ASEAN, and ensure that participating in ASEAN brings practical benefits to people, localities and businesses.

Many groups of solutions will be implemented synchronously, including reviewing and perfecting institutions and laws, improving inter-ministerial and sectoral coordination mechanisms, and strengthening training, fostering, and improving capacity for ASEAN departments in ministries and sectors.

On that basis, the meeting agreed on the need to amend Regulation 142 on operations and coordination among ASEAN participating agencies on the basis of continuity and development to meet the requirements and tasks set forth in the new situation.

The delegates had in-depth discussions on the orientations, priorities, and focus of ASEAN participation in 2024, and agreed to continue promoting the spirit of proactiveness, positivity, and responsibility in participating in ASEAN cooperation, coordinating and supporting the Lao Chairmanship in ASEAN 2024 with the theme " ASEAN: Promoting Connectivity and Resilience" , contributing to the development of Strategies to implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, contributing to strengthening solidarity, unity, and the central role of ASEAN, continuing to integrate and promote issues of our priority and concern.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the meeting, Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet suggested that ministries and branches continue to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to soon complete the master plan to participate in ASEAN in 2024.

Along with that is the successful organization of the ASEAN Future Forum to share ideas on ASEAN development, effectively implement tasks and solutions according to Conclusion 59-KL/TW of the Politburo on Vietnam's orientation to join ASEAN until 2030, including perfecting the apparatus, perfecting regulations and coordination processes in joining ASEAN, thereby improving the quality and effectiveness of Vietnam's ASEAN cooperation, commensurate with the new tasks and situation.

Source