30 years of Vietnam joining ASEAN: Proactively creating for a common future

Ambassador, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to ASEAN Ton Thi Ngoc Huong affirmed that throughout the past 30 years, Vietnam has truly accompanied and closely associated with ASEAN, contributing to the 'common home', while also supporting the country's development goals.

General Secretary To Lam and his wife, along with ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn and his wife, cut the cake to celebrate 30 years of Vietnam's accession to ASEAN during their visit to the ASEAN Secretariat in March 2025. (Photo: Tuan Anh)

In his recent policy speech at the ASEAN Secretariat (March 9), General Secretary To Lam emphasized that in order to affirm its stature and central position, ASEAN needs not only solidarity, consensus, and unanimity, but also breakthrough thinking, sharp strategies, feasible roadmaps, concentrated resources, and decisive actions. What is the Ambassador's assessment of ASEAN's breakthrough thinking and sharp strategies on the road ahead, and how can Vietnam "contribute" on this journey?

Nearly 6 decades of existence have proven the value and stature of ASEAN as the central force and focal point of cooperation processes for peace , stability and prosperity in the region.

ASEAN is facing an important turning point: Moving to a new stage of development, after 10 years of community formation, towards the long-term goal of a self-reliant, creative, dynamic, people-centered Community by 2045. The ASEAN Community Vision 2045 affirms: “ASEAN needs to continue to be the locomotive leading peace, stability and prosperity in the region, effectively responding to challenges and complex geopolitical, economic and social environments within and outside the region”.

Ambassador, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to ASEAN Ton Thi Ngoc Huong. (Source: Vietnam Mission to ASEAN)

ASEAN needs necessary and sufficient conditions to realize this goal. In his speech at the 30th anniversary of Vietnam joining ASEAN during his recent official visit to the ASEAN Secretariat, General Secretary To Lam emphasized: “In the new development stage and in the face of current complex changes, ASEAN needs breakthrough thinking and sharp strategies to maintain and promote the achievements effectively and sustainably and build a strong ASEAN in the future.”

Accordingly, the necessary and prerequisite condition is to maintain solidarity, unity, and maintain the collective strength of the whole bloc. The sufficient condition is: Breakthrough thinking, sharp strategy, to effectively take advantage of opportunities, and effectively respond to challenges.

Breakthrough thinking helps ASEAN promptly adjust development models, keep up with new trends in digital transformation, green transformation, new types of technology, etc., position itself in the trend of shifting and diversifying supply chains, creating new growth drivers and greater competitive advantages.

The sharp strategy helps ASEAN adapt effectively to changes in the complex, unpredictable, and intertwined geopolitical and geo-economic environments in the region and the world, strengthening its central role in the region and promoting its international position.

With three decades of being a proactive, active and responsible member of ASEAN, Vietnam will continue to contribute to promoting/concretizing new, creative and innovative ideas and initiatives, helping ASEAN to keep up with new and dynamic development trends in the world. We will also contribute to shaping a sharp mindset and actions so that ASEAN can be steadfast and self-reliant in the face of challenges that threaten peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

As General Secretary To Lam affirmed, “ASEAN is a multilateral cooperation mechanism directly linked to and of primary importance to Vietnam”. Over the past three decades, Vietnam has “made every effort to contribute to the building of a united, strong and resilient ASEAN Community”. Vietnam’s priority in the coming time is to “strive to continue building a strong, united community with ASEAN, contributing to peace, stability and prosperity in the region”.

Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son chaired the ASEAN-UK Foreign Ministers' Meeting within the framework of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Malaysia on July 11. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

Could you please emphasize the importance of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 for the development of the Community in the new era? For Vietnam, what are the opportunities and challenges in implementing the priorities of the Vision?

Vision 2045 is the key guiding document for the next 20 years of development of the ASEAN Community. “Resilient, dynamic, innovative and people-centered” is both the goal and the characteristic of the process of building the ASEAN Community from now until 2045.

Vision 2045 will be specifically implemented through 4 Strategic Plans on the pillars of Politics-Security, Economy, Culture-Society, Connectivity and the Work Plan on Narrowing the Development Gap in ASEAN.

Inheriting and developing the achievements of previous stages, Vision 2045 will promote the expansion of cooperation and enhance ASEAN's regional connectivity in the new period: (i) Enhance self-reliance, proactive adaptation, maintain ASEAN's central role in the most dynamically developing region in the world, but also a place containing fierce strategic competition; (ii) Be proactive in action, creative in thinking to make the most of new economic growth drivers and sustainable development; (iii) Always put people at the center of the development process, ensure growth associated with improving social welfare and people's lives, promote identity and community awareness among people of countries in the region.

The goals set out in ASEAN Vision 2045 are completely consistent with Vietnam’s priorities and development orientations in the new era. We have the opportunity to benefit from our experience in ASEAN integration over three decades, the capacity and resources to integrate and concretize ASEAN’s cooperation priorities in national development plans, and the mindset, ideas, prestige and responsibility to proactively and actively contribute to promoting the effective implementation of ASEAN’s goals at the regional level.

Along with that are the common challenges that we and ASEAN member countries face when implementing cooperation programs and plans: the ability to mobilize and invest adequate resources, effective implementation, coordination mechanisms between fields and pillars, and the ability to self-adjust and adapt to uncertain factors from the outside.

For Vietnam in particular, the challenge comes from the commitment, proper and adequate attention of relevant agencies, the allocation and appropriate allocation of resources for participating in ASEAN cooperation, and the ability to effectively utilize benefits from ASEAN to serve the country's development needs.

Clearly defining a roadmap with specific steps, with appropriate resources, building a coordination mechanism, monitoring implementation, and more importantly, maintaining the determination and consistent commitment of member countries, including Vietnam, are important requirements to ensure the successful implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision in the new period.

Ambassador Ton Thi Ngoc Huong and New Zealand Ambassador to ASEAN Joanna Anderson co-chaired the 13th meeting of the ASEAN-New Zealand Joint Cooperation Committee at the ASEAN Secretariat on May 10, 2025. (Source: Vietnamese Mission to ASEAN)

If we call Vietnam's 30-year journey of joining ASEAN the journey of "Accompanying and Developing", then how can the next stage be summarized with verb phrases, Ambassador?

During its three decades of membership in ASEAN, Vietnam has indeed accompanied and closely associated with ASEAN, thereby contributing to ASEAN’s development process and providing practical support for the country’s development and integration goals. This is a dual approach and will continue to be the orientation for Vietnam’s participation in ASEAN in the next stages.

Based on the foundation of 30 years of ASEAN membership, clearly aware of the close connection between a strong, self-reliant, and dynamic ASEAN, with the security and development interests of each member country, promoting the country's position and strength, it can be envisioned that Vietnam's new journey in ASEAN will be constructive.

Together with member states, we will proactively create a common future for ASEAN as the name of the ASEAN Vision 2045 document: “Our Future Together”, making the ASEAN Community truly the center of growth, the “locomotive” leading peace, stability, and prosperity in the region, closely connected with the global community of nations.

In that strong ASEAN Community, Vietnam's potential, position and prestige will be multiplied, and benefits from ASEAN will be spread more widely and practically to our people and businesses.

Thank you very much Ambassador!

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/30-nam-viet-nam-gia-nhap-asean-chu-dong-kien-tao-vi-tuong-lai-chung-322493.html