 |
| Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son with ministers of ASEAN member countries after the conclusion of the plenary session on July 9. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
ASEAN is facing unprecedented challenges, which is the reality that pervades AMM 58. However, “fire tests gold, hardship tests strength”, at AMM 58, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, along with ASEAN Ministers and partners, made efforts to untie the knots with both reason and action.
The 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM 58) and related meetings this year (taking place from July 8-11) with the theme “Inclusive and Sustainable”, focused on discussing key issues such as building the ASEAN Community after 2025, enhancing cooperation with dialogue partners, promoting the implementation of action plans and cooperation strategies for the new period of ASEAN, including the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, as well as discussing outstanding international and regional issues. The conference attracted about 1,500 delegates from ASEAN member countries, dialogue partners and regional organizations, with a total of 24 ministerial-level meetings.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son led the Vietnamese delegation to attend activities at the conference, continuing to affirm the proactive and active role in building a united, self-reliant, people-centered ASEAN Community and maintaining ASEAN's central role in the context of rapid regional changes.
Tighten your arms
The cultural performances at the 58th AMM Opening Ceremony were vibrant and colorful, stirring up the atmosphere at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center. But immediately afterwards, in his opening speech, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim – ASEAN Chair 2025 warned that ASEAN is facing “an uncertain time”, when “power trumps principle, stability is no longer evident”, the global order is fractured, unilateralism, coercion and conflict are on the rise, pushing millions of people into poverty. Will the “ASEAN ship” be rocked because of this?
The ASEAN Chair 2025 and the Ministers agreed that the most important key is solidarity. ASEAN needs to maintain unity and strength within the bloc. “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Perhaps, no matter what stage of the development journey, the core values that make ASEAN successful – solidarity and mutual respect – still hold true.
Time has proven that by joining hands, ASEAN can overcome all challenges; the ASEAN flag with the “ten-branch golden rice bundle” gathered on a deep blue background, fluttering in the Southeast Asian sky, is always a source of inspiration, a reminder of the “common home”, where ASEAN people share pride and solidarity.
According to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, with unity, ASEAN can maintain its independent stance, not be drawn into strategic competition, promote its role as a reliable platform for dialogue and cooperation, and promote peace and inclusive development in the region.
 |
| Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
The keyword “solidarity” was also emphasized many times by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bui Thanh Son within the framework of AMM 58. The Deputy Prime Minister called for strengthening solidarity within the bloc and unifying stance, flexibly but consistently handling differences, maintaining the principle of consensus and acting for the common interests of ASEAN.
The Deputy Prime Minister said that it is the spirit of family solidarity, community solidarity and close neighbourliness, along with the solid foundation of dialogue, diplomacy and respect for international law, that has made ASEAN successful over the past decades. These achievements need to continue to be strongly promoted, especially in the process of realizing the Association's development aspirations.
Mission "North Star"
ASEAN has been affirming its central role and is trusted and recognized by partners within and outside the region.
The Malaysian Prime Minister likened ASEAN to the “North Star” that helps guide the region through increasingly complex geopolitical waves; while Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bui Thanh Son compared ASEAN to a “lighthouse of peace”, a model regional organization for dialogue, cooperation and resolving differences by peaceful means.
The excitement of the Ministerial-level meetings between ASEAN and its partners within the framework of AMM 58 is a clear demonstration of the “focus” of ASEAN. In addition to actively participating in the meetings, Vietnam also joined in this excitement through Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bui Thanh Son co-chairing the ASEAN-New Zealand Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the ASEAN-UK Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the two partner countries that Vietnam is coordinating in relations with ASEAN; co-chairing the 16th Mekong-Japan Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the 13th Mekong-Korea Cooperation; thereby contributing to promoting cooperation between ASEAN and its partners, creating a premise for maintaining ASEAN’s common stance.
In particular, the signing ceremony of the document of accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) with Algeria and Uruguay marked a new development in the process of expanding the global partnership network and affirming ASEAN's increasing role in the international system.
The official accession of Algeria and Uruguay to the TAC is a “historic milestone” not only for ASEAN but also for the process of consolidating global values of peace, cooperation and sustainable development; not only expanding the influence of the Association, but also proving the correctness and vitality of the values that ASEAN has persistently cultivated. ASEAN advocates “actively looking outward”, expanding relations with global partners, contributing to shaping a regional order based on rules, mutual respect and common development.
Tomorrow starts today
ASEAN, in its new development phase, has taken bold steps for the future, reflected in its two-decade long-term roadmap - ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
Starting tomorrow, “talking goes hand in hand with action”, within the framework of AMM 58, ASEAN Ministers enthusiastically discussed the orientations of ASEAN cooperation in the coming time with the spirit of urgency to put the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and new strategies into implementation; all ASEAN specialized agencies will soon identify priorities, concretize the orientations set out in their fields, ensure close coordination and harmonious connection with the cross-sectoral, cross-pillar approach.
 |
| Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son attends the plenary session of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting on July 9. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
With that common determination, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bui Thanh Son proposed three key orientations for ASEAN in the coming time.
Firstly, towards the goal of becoming the world's fourth largest economy by 2030, ASEAN needs to continue to prioritize maintaining strong economic growth. Along with promoting intra-regional economic connectivity and effectively implementing the upgraded ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), ASEAN needs to review and utilize existing FTAs with partners, expand inter-regional economic connectivity; ASEAN needs to utilize e-commerce to facilitate intra-regional trade, as well as expand the network of external markets.
Second, towards a leading digital community, ASEAN needs to accelerate negotiations on the Digital Economy Framework Agreement, ensuring that it meets practical needs, especially those of micro, small and medium enterprises. New growth drivers such as digital transformation and the innovation ecosystem need to be integrated into cooperation frameworks with partners to mobilize resources and technical support. As Chair of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Task Force, Vietnam will coordinate with other countries to implement these contents in the next phase of the IAI Work Plan.
Third, to build a truly people-oriented community, ASEAN needs to strengthen its connection with the people. ASEAN’s role is not only present through high-level statements but more importantly, needs to be spread through specific and practical actions. Vietnam will soon develop a plan to implement ASEAN 2045 strategic documents at the national level to bring ASEAN closer to the people, businesses and localities.
A diamond is valuable because of its inner durability and outer appeal. We believe that ASEAN has both; internal strength and enduring influence are increasingly portraying the ASEAN “brand” amidst the many changes. The bustling AMM 58 with the active and enthusiastic participation of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bui Thanh Son contributed to enriching the value and brand of the Association.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/hai-dang-soi-duong-cho-tau-asean-vuot-song-320523.html
Comment (0)