In an interview with a VNA reporter on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit, held from October 26-28 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Ei Sun OH, a senior expert at the Pacific Research Center, provided an overview of the Summit and the increasing importance of Vietnam in the region.
According to Mr. OH, the Conference achieved remarkable and positive results. Amidst discussions surrounding the new US tariff regime, regional security issues, and the admission of Timor Leste as a new member, Vietnam affirmed its extremely important and essential role within the bloc.
OH experts affirm that Vietnam is currently considered the most dynamic country in this dynamic region of the world. Vietnam's role in ASEAN is extremely important, as many other member countries closely monitor and highly appreciate the economic achievements that Vietnam has attained.
Expressing his admiration for Vietnam's target of 10% or more in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth next year, the OH expert suggested that the rest of ASEAN countries are trying to understand the "secret" behind this rapid economic growth.
From a developing economy, Vietnam has risen to become a prominent destination for foreign investment in the region.
Vietnam's development experience is seen as a prime example and a valuable lesson for countries like Timor Leste - the newest member of ASEAN.
The OH expert added that Vietnam has played a very constructive role, strengthening and giving credibility to many ASEAN initiatives. In particular, in negotiations on the new tariff regime with the US, Vietnam was one of the first countries to finalize an agreement.
This established a "foundation" for the remaining ASEAN countries to use when negotiating with Washington. As a result, trade negotiations between ASEAN and the US have yielded more satisfactory results.
Furthermore, Vietnam is also expected to play a more active role in resolving conflicts, sometimes even those outside ASEAN, given its increasingly elevated position within the bloc.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the 5th ASEAN-Australia Summit. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)
Vietnam has worked closely with ASEAN to actively address a number of regional security issues, including supporting de-escalation of tensions between Cambodia and Thailand.
Furthermore, OH experts noted that Vietnam also plays an important role in issues related to the South China Sea. ASEAN members all wish to cooperate closely with Vietnam in the coming years, as the region is striving to achieve some progress in negotiating the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) in a very short time.
Towards the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 – focusing on diversity, inclusiveness and sustainability – Vietnam, as one of the bloc's fastest-growing members, can play a particularly important role.
OH experts commented that Vietnam could become a model in ensuring that the fruits of economic growth are widely disseminated and benefit all segments of society.
According to him, Vietnam, along with other countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia, is engaging in healthy competition to attract foreign investment through attractive incentive policies. This is expected to help ASEAN achieve its goals of inclusiveness and sustainability.
(VNA/Vietnam+)
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/hoi-nghi-asean-47-viet-nam-the-hien-vai-role-dan-dat-va-kien-tao-phat-trien-post1073366.vnp
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