Confidence in a changing world

Never before have the topics of “self-reliance” and “connectivity” been mentioned extensively in the agendas because ASEAN in particular and the world in general are facing countless global difficulties and challenges, requiring increased international solidarity to join hands in solving them.

The Vietnamese high-ranking delegation led by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh actively attended the Summits, putting forward many practical and effective initiatives and proposals, based on practical experience, "correct and on-point", leaving a strong impression, highly appreciated by the international community.

Self-reliant platform, unlocking connectivity potential

To ensure safety for the Summit, the Vientiane capital authorities have closed main roads, including Lan Xang and Kaysone Phomvihane Avenues to the National Convention Center; students in five central districts have been given a day off during the Summit to ensure security... Laos has mobilized a large number of military and security forces to protect key locations of the event, the accommodations of leaders, heads of state, and international delegations.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation attended all events of this Summit with an extremely busy schedule, full of activities. At the opening session of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits, General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith stated that in the context of the regional and international environment undergoing rapid and complex changes with many new challenges, ASEAN must continue to carry out its mission, strive for peace, stability and sustainable development, and strongly commit to promoting multilateralism in the spirit of equality and mutual benefit.

During the plenary session, ASEAN leaders agreed on the need to further concretize and deepen the content of “connectivity and self-reliance” in the Cooperation Strategies for the new period, enhancing ASEAN’s adaptability to the current profound and complex movements. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that more than ever, ASEAN needs to take self-reliance as the foundation to reach new heights, take connectivity as the focus to make breakthroughs, and take innovation as the driving force to pioneer and lead.

Accordingly, the leader of the Vietnamese Government suggested that self-reliance and strategic autonomy are the foundation for ASEAN to stand firm in the face of all fluctuations and overcome all challenges. ASEAN needs to enhance its self-reliance capacity, promote endogenous resources to maintain internal strategic stability and respond promptly to external risks; promote internal connectivity combined with external connectivity, public-private connectivity, multi-sectoral connectivity, in which the focus is on infrastructure, institutional and human connectivity as a strategic breakthrough for ASEAN; attach importance to innovation as the main driving force and driving force for ASEAN to catch up, progress together and surpass the region and the world.

At the ASEAN Summit's retreat, leaders emphasized the strategic significance of promoting connectivity and self-reliance, shared the importance of maintaining ASEAN's solidarity, unity and central role, and enhancing ASEAN's capacity to confidently seize opportunities and self-reliantly overcome challenges.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that ASEAN needs to be more proactive in seizing and exploiting opportunities and growth drivers, promoting digital transformation, green development, responding to climate change, as well as many other emerging potential areas of cooperation. These messages from Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh were warmly agreed and responded to by the leaders.

The theme of “self-reliance and connectivity” was also clearly mentioned by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2024 - which gathered many leading ASEAN enterprises, including many Vietnamese enterprises. The Prime Minister suggested that the ASEAN business community should take the lead in promoting self-reliance and handling emerging issues; affirming that a self-reliant ASEAN cannot lack a team of self-reliant ASEAN entrepreneurs, rising strongly to be able to solve challenges such as population aging, resource depletion, climate change, etc.

Strengthen connections with partners

The related Summits are also an opportunity for ASEAN to strengthen relations with the United Nations, the United States, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, etc. At the Summits between ASEAN and these traditional partners, all parties highly appreciated the effectiveness of cooperation, the position and important role of ASEAN in the current international arena; wished to further strengthen economic connectivity, cooperation in emerging fields, and jointly solve global challenges.

On this occasion, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a series of meetings and contacts with all leaders and heads of state of countries and international organizations to enhance bilateral cooperation. All leaders highly appreciated the increasing position and role of Vietnam in ASEAN as well as in the international arena; expressed their desire to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in traditional and emerging fields, thereby contributing to diversifying supply chains and production chains.

This is also an opportunity to strengthen ties and further promote the special solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Laos to become more profound, substantive and effective, especially to develop economic, trade and investment relations commensurate with the excellent political relations. Lao leaders and people welcomed Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh very warmly, sincerely and affectionately, like family members who had not seen each other for a long time.

At meetings with General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, National Assembly Chairman Saysomphone Phomvihane, etc., Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that the Party, State and people of Vietnam always attach importance to and give the highest priority to the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, considering it a priceless asset, an objective requirement, a top priority, the number one choice and a vital factor for the revolutionary cause of the two countries, which needs to be preserved for future generations; affirmed that he would direct Vietnamese ministries, branches and localities to closely coordinate with Lao ministries, branches and localities to well implement high-level agreements between the two countries, continuing to bring the relationship between the two countries to develop strongly to a new height...

The attendance of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation at the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and related Summits was extremely successful; affirming that Vietnam continues to be a responsible member, always proactive in implementation, substantively participating and making sincere contributions.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tu-tin-truoc-mot-the-gioi-day-bien-dong-post836337.html