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| Ambassador Vu Ho, Acting Head of ASEAN SOM, answered the press on the sidelines of the Conference. |
Could you please share the meaning and results of this Conference?
After two days of work, under the chairmanship and leadership of Laos, the ASEAN Chair 2024, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat (AMMR) was a great success, achieving many important results.
First of all, as the first activity of the ASEAN Chairmanship 2024, this Conference has the important task of identifying ASEAN's focuses and priorities as a basis for overall and consistent orientation for ASEAN cooperation throughout the year.
The countries highly appreciated this year's theme of ASEAN: Promoting connectivity and self-reliance, unifying ASEAN's 9 priorities on both content clusters on connectivity and self-reliance, reflecting ASEAN's common needs in response to the requirements of the times.
Specifically, regarding “self-reliance”, ASEAN will focus on developing strategies to implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, strengthening ASEAN’s central role, promoting environmental cooperation, enhancing the participation and contribution of women and children, and enhancing regional health capacity.
Regarding “connectivity”, ASEAN will promote economic integration, promote inclusive and sustainable development, transform towards a digital future, and promote the role of culture and arts in the regional integration process.
Another highlight for ASEAN cooperation in 2024 is the transition between strategic frameworks for building the Community. ASEAN enters the final year of implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and prepares for the next phase of development. Building the Community is a continuous and long-term process, but the transition phase is always important, opening up new opportunities, aspirations and determination for the development of the Community.
From ASEAN Community Vision 2025 to ASEAN Community Vision 2045 is not simply the addition of time, but the multiplication of efforts with the desire to create stronger and more creative breakthroughs for ASEAN's integration in the coming years.
Therefore, 2024 will also be a busy year for ASEAN with preparations for a comprehensive review of the 2025 Blueprints and the development of new Cooperation Strategies up to 2045.
Finally , it is impossible not to mention the message of solidarity, cooperation and self-reliance that the Conference conveyed through the results of the Ministers' exchanges on the international and regional situation. Major power strategic competition, the East Sea, Myanmar, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Middle East... and along with that, the ongoing processes such as implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), building the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) or implementing the 5-point Consensus on Myanmar were all present in the Conference's agenda.
This shows that ASEAN is deeply aware of the urgency of the issues being raised as well as the consequences and impacts on peace, security, stability and sustainable development in the region. Together we exchange to better understand each other's concerns, thereby working together to find the most suitable common solutions.
Through those sincere and frank exchanges, the countries further appreciated the value of solidarity and unity that has created the strength for ASEAN to firmly overcome all difficulties and obstacles in the past, present and future.
The countries believe that the results of this Conference will not only be an important premise for ASEAN cooperation throughout 2024 but also create new momentum and vitality for further development of ASEAN in the coming decades.
What contributions did the Vietnamese delegation make to this Conference, sir?
In the spirit of proactiveness, positivity and creativity, the Vietnamese delegation led by Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son attended and made many contributions to the success of the Conference. The responsible participation right from the preparation stage and the contributions at the Conference of the Vietnamese delegation reflected our commitment and responsibility to the common work of ASEAN and the strong and consistent support for Laos' ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024, thereby contributing to further strengthening the special traditional friendship between Vietnam and Laos as directed by the two countries' Senior Leaders.
Appreciating the theme of the ASEAN Cooperation Year 2024, Minister Bui Thanh Son affirmed that Vietnam will closely coordinate with the Lao Chairman and other countries to effectively and practically implement the set priorities. The Minister highlighted the significance of building a resilient ASEAN in the face of complex fluctuations and enormous challenges in the current context. The Minister also emphasized the importance of enhancing connectivity, suggesting that ASEAN strengthen digital connectivity, institutional connectivity, infrastructure and people, promote intra-bloc investment and trade, etc.
Minister Bui Thanh Son shared many important ideas and proposals on the process of building the Community, foreign relations and regional and international issues of common concern. Notably, Vietnam's initiative to host the ASEAN Future Forum on rapid, sustainable and people-centered development received attention from other countries.
The Forum, scheduled to be held in April 2024 in Hanoi, will provide an opportunity for broad exchange among many groups and sectors to generate creative and innovative ideas for the Community building process.
The Minister also emphasized the orientation of building comprehensive and inclusive 2045 Cooperation Strategies with monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to enhance the culture of implementation and promote the process of building a sustainable and balanced Community.
Discussing cooperation between ASEAN and its partners, the Minister suggested that ASEAN continue to maintain a balanced approach, build a strategic vision in implementing foreign relations, encourage partners to participate and contribute responsibly to regional cooperation, support ASEAN in building the Community and support ASEAN's central role in the regional structure.
The Minister emphasized that ASEAN needs to maintain solidarity and consensus, promote strategic autonomy, consolidate its principled stance on the issues of the East Sea and Myanmar, maintain a balanced and objective approach, and enhance its role and voice in issues related to peace, security, stability and sustainable development in the region and the world.
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