President To Lam received Ambassadors and Chargé d'Affaires of ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste who came to greet and congratulate him.

President To Lam received Ambassadors and Chargé d'Affaires of ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste who came to greet and congratulate him. (Photo: VNA)

On behalf of the Ambassadors and Chargé d'Affaires of Southeast Asian countries in Hanoi , Lao Ambassador Khamphao Ernthavanh - the 2024 ASEAN Chair, conveyed warm congratulations and sincere regards from the senior leaders of Laos and Southeast Asian countries to President To Lam.

The Lao Ambassador emphasized that in nearly 30 years of participating in ASEAN, Vietnam has always played an important role in strengthening ASEAN's solidarity and centrality, as well as in building the ASEAN Community Vision after 2025. Vietnam's rapid economic growth is creating momentum for regional economic development.

The Lao Ambassador affirmed that ASEAN is the leading force for regional peace and security, while emphasizing the value of dialogue and cooperation as the only way to deal with current geopolitical and economic instabilities.

In that context, the theme that Laos has chosen for its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024 is ASEAN: Promoting Connectivity and Resilience, with the priority of enhancing economic cohesion, promoting ASEAN's resilience and central role in the face of multidimensional, complex and unpredictable challenges, optimizing ASEAN's potential to become a growth engine of the region, contributing increasingly effectively to peace, security, stability and shared prosperity.

The Lao Ambassador thanked ASEAN member countries, especially Vietnam, for actively supporting Laos to successfully assume its role as ASEAN Chair.

The Lao Ambassador expressed his belief that under the wise leadership of President To Lam, the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Southeast Asian countries will develop more strongly and extensively, making important contributions to peace, security and stability in the region.

President To Lam expressed his joy at meeting the Ambassadors and Chargé d'Affaires of Southeast Asian countries for the first time in his capacity as President; thanked the Leaders and Ambassadors of ASEAN countries for their good wishes and affirmed that Southeast Asia is always a family of close and close neighbors of Vietnam. The President thanked the Lao Ambassador for his sharing and congratulated Laos on the efforts and results it has achieved so far in its ASEAN Chairmanship year 2024.

Sharing the strategic significance of the ASEAN 2024 theme in the current context, the President emphasized: ASEAN needs to strengthen solidarity and unity, promote its central role, self-reliance and strategic autonomy, and act together to respond to common challenges, towards the goal and aspiration for stronger breakthrough development in the future. With the solid foundation of cooperation over the past 6 decades, ASEAN countries will continue to promote the spirit of sharing and understanding, harmonizing their interests with the common interests of the region, and together seek effective solutions to the issues at hand.

Pleased with the very good developments in the relationship between Vietnam and Southeast Asian countries within the bilateral and multilateral frameworks, President To Lam stated that Vietnam has successfully built the frameworks of Strategic Partnership and Comprehensive Partnership with all ASEAN members; affirmed support and wished that Timor-Leste will soon become a full member of the ASEAN family.

Based on the traditional relationship, strengths and needs of each country, Vietnam and Southeast Asian countries have been cooperating closely in all important areas, such as: economy-trade-investment, defense-security, education-training, people-to-people exchange... and constantly expanding to new areas suitable for the 4.0 industrial era such as innovation, digital transformation, digital connection, green economy, clean energy...

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