AMM 58: Accelerating for a special 'harvest'

The ASEAN 2025 "train" is setting off during a crucial period of transformation. Each "station"—the meeting—carries its own mission, and the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM 58) also contributes to shaping the future of the Community. Vietnam, with its proactive and dedicated spirit over three decades, has always strived to contribute solid "bricks" to the common ASEAN house.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, along with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of ASEAN member states, the ASEAN Secretary-General, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Timor-Leste, at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat 2025 in Langkawi, Malaysia, on January 19. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, themed "Inclusiveness and Sustainability," is halfway through. The priorities set at the beginning of the year are gradually being realized, especially after the 46th ASEAN Summit. The 58th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM 58) will strongly promote cooperation initiatives, prepare for the 47th ASEAN Summit, and demonstrate a determination to reap the "sweet fruits" of the harvest, concluding a year full of significant achievements for ASEAN.

In his policy speech during his visit to the ASEAN Secretariat (March 2025), General Secretary To Lam quoted President Ho Chi Minh 's admonition: "Nothing is difficult, only the lack of perseverance is to be feared; with determination, one can move mountains and fill seas." Earlier this year, at the ASEAN Future Forum 2025, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also quoted a familiar Vietnamese proverb: "One tree alone cannot make a mountain; three trees together can make a high mountain..." These messages from high-ranking Vietnamese leaders are meant to inspire solidarity and determination to overcome difficulties within ASEAN; challenges are the driving force for the Association's innovation.

That is precisely the spirit that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son brought to the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM 58) and related meetings in Malaysia from July 7-11. The current context, with more difficulties and challenges than before, requires ASEAN and its member states to continue standing together, giving the highest priority to the process of building the Community.

AMM 58 also provided an opportunity for Vietnam to reaffirm its consistent policy towards the Association – a directly linked and paramount multilateral cooperation mechanism; to work together towards aspirational goals; and to jointly write and spread the success stories of ASEAN.

Within the framework of AMM 58, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bui Thanh Son will co-chair the 16th Mekong-Japan Cooperation Ministerial Meeting and the 13th Mekong-Korea Cooperation Ministerial Meeting, demonstrating the Party's policy of proactively and effectively integrating into the international community, elevating multilateral diplomacy, and participating in Mekong sub-regional cooperation.

New framework, new hope.

Within the framework of AMM 58, ASEAN Foreign Ministers focused on promoting the implementation of decisions made at the 46th ASEAN Summit, bringing strategic frameworks into practice as soon as possible; and at the same time, striving to complete intra-bloc cooperation initiatives such as the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, the ASEAN Power Grid, carbon neutrality… in order to leverage new growth drivers.

It is evident that the current global landscape is creating unprecedented opportunities and challenges for the international order and ASEAN. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim – ASEAN Chair 2025 – calls these geopolitical “turning points,” while ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn likens them to constantly shifting “fault lines.”

However, ASEAN is not standing idly by. The greater the challenges, the more united ASEAN becomes, demonstrating its resilience and self-reliance, not only through willpower but also through action. The results of the 46th ASEAN Summit and related meetings are clear evidence of this spirit.

At the 46th ASEAN Summit, leaders signed the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on “ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future” and adopted the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 along with four pillar strategies: political-security, economic, socio-cultural, and connectivity. This is a significant milestone, demonstrating ASEAN's proactive and leading role in shaping the region's future, inspiring aspirations for development and advancement towards shared peace, stability, and prosperity.

In an interview regarding this historic milestone, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bui Thanh Son stated that the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 will serve as a framework for the bloc to act together, adapt, and strive for development. “ASEAN needs to strengthen its self-reliance and resilience, especially economic resilience, to withstand external shocks. ASEAN’s external relations need to pursue a consistent, focused approach aligned with ASEAN’s long-term strategic priorities,” the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister cited as an example.

The spirit of unity, inclusiveness, and connectivity is also being promoted through the decision to admit Timor-Leste as the 11th member next October. This is not only a historic turning point for Timor-Leste but also opens up new avenues for cooperation for ASEAN after three decades.

The 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings took place from July 8-11 in Malaysia. (Source: Bernama)

Beyond long-term plans and new member admissions, ASEAN is expanding its interconnected thinking to adapt to geopolitical and geoeconomic changes. In addition to exploiting opportunities for intra-regional cooperation and with existing partners, ASEAN is strengthening its external linkages, exemplified by the recent ASEAN-GCC and ASEAN-GCC-China Summits.

These "sweet fruits" all hold historical significance for ASEAN. This once again demonstrates that solidarity, self-reliance, cooperation, and unity in diversity continue to be key to ASEAN's success, even amidst turbulent times. As General Secretary To Lam emphasized in his policy speech at the ASEAN Secretariat: "Consensus and solidarity do not mean always staying in a safe zone. On the contrary, members of the ASEAN family must dare to think, dare to act, and dare to take action for the common good. That is the true meaning and value of consensus and solidarity."

Sharing the same roof, sharing the same aspirations.

Attending AMM 58, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son brought with him a sense of national pride, as this July also marks the 30th anniversary of the raising of the red flag with a yellow star in Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei), marking Vietnam's official accession to ASEAN, opening a journey of deep integration and close ties with the region and the world.

For the past three decades, Vietnam has consistently prioritized promoting relations with its neighbors and the region, actively contributing to the process of building a united, strong, and self-reliant ASEAN Community, thereby affirming its role and position within ASEAN. It can be said that Vietnam's growth is closely linked to ASEAN's development, and Vietnam's presence is deeply imprinted in ASEAN's journey of development.

Today, both Vietnam and ASEAN stand at a new historical starting point, both striving towards ambitious goals. Vietnam is more aware of its responsibility to participate proactively and contribute more to the common cause, guided by the principles of creative thinking, innovative approach, flexible implementation, effective methods, and decisive action.

At the recent ASEAN Summit, Vietnam continued to demonstrate its proactive and responsible spirit with many practical and groundbreaking proposals. Vietnam, along with other ASEAN countries, promoted a new development mindset, focusing on inclusiveness and sustainability. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's "Five Mores" message – "More United, More Resilient, More Proactive, More Inclusive, and More Sustainable" – was highly appreciated by other countries and became a comprehensive foundation for ASEAN to strengthen its collective power, take control of the game, and ensure sustainable development for present and future generations.

Vietnamese government leaders have also inspired ASEAN cooperation in many key areas such as renewable energy, smart agriculture, sustainable infrastructure, green technology, aviation, tourism, and the development of a robust financial connectivity network between major regional centers, creating a springboard for future inter-regional cooperation. With numerous initiatives, Vietnam continues to spread innovative thinking within ASEAN, further affirming its proactive, positive, and responsible role in jointly building a stable and sustainable developed region.

After 58 years of formation and development, ASEAN has turned the dream of a harmonious community, where "mountains and rivers no longer separate us but unite us in cooperation and friendship," into reality. Vietnam is proud to have been a companion and contributor to that journey for 30 years. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bui Thanh Son's participation in the 58th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM 58) further nurtures ASEAN's aspirations and affirms Vietnam's unwavering commitment to working towards a united and resilient ASEAN.

Attending the 58th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM 58) and related conferences, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bui Thanh Son reaffirmed Vietnam's support for Malaysia during its ASEAN chairmanship; proposed specific initiatives from Vietnam to jointly build a stable and sustainable future for the region and ASEAN; and sought strong and effective solutions to the issues facing the Association. On this occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister will also co-chair the ASEAN-New Zealand Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the ASEAN-UK Foreign Ministers' Meeting, two partner countries that Vietnam is coordinating with ASEAN. Ambassador Ton Thi Ngoc Huong, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to ASEAN, will also be present.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/amm-58-tang-toc-cho-vu-mua-dac-biet-319824.html