47th ASEAN Summit: Leveraging the 'cohesion' capacity and the 'three open' approach.

The 47th ASEAN Summit and related meetings took place in Malaysia from October 25-28. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

Could the Deputy Minister share some insights on the significance of the 47th ASEAN Summit and related meetings?

The 47th ASEAN Summit and related meetings constitute the most important and largest series of meetings of the year for ASEAN, with the participation of leaders from ASEAN countries, Timor-Leste, leaders of partner countries, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, as well as leaders of many international and regional organizations.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang answers questions from the press. (Photo: Thanh Long)

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang answers questions from the press. (Photo: Thanh Long)

Amidst rapidly changing and complex geopolitical and geoeconomic conditions, intense strategic competition, escalating conflicts in many regions, inherent risks to the global economy, increasing non-traditional security challenges, and multilateral institutions facing issues of declining trust and reform pressures, ASEAN continues to be a bright spot and driving force of multilateral cooperation, maintaining unity, promoting its central role, and achieving many substantive and important results in strengthening economic integration, expanding partnerships, and especially proactively shaping the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, a strategic document guiding the region's future.

ASEAN has proactively adapted to new development trends, building a series of new cooperation frameworks such as the Digital Economy Framework Agreement, the Digital Master Plan, the ASEAN Power Grid, etc. ASEAN's mechanisms have received support, attention, and participation from partners, especially major powers, demonstrating ASEAN's continued ability to "gather," affirming its role and credibility with other countries regarding its ability to harmonize, adapt flexibly, and maintain balance in partnerships.

Taking place at a time when ASEAN is preparing to enter a new phase of development with a new Vision, these conferences will be an opportunity for leaders of member states to exchange strategic decisions, consolidate a peaceful and stable environment, facilitate development, and promote more substantive and effective regional linkages, unlocking potential, expanding scope, and opening new avenues of cooperation for ASEAN.

Firstly, these conferences will unlock ASEAN's development potential, concretizing the goals set out in the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. The urgent task now is to translate the Vision into action, turning commitments into results, through effective and practical cooperation programs that are people-centered, businesses-centered, and local.

Secondly, with the admission of Timor-Leste as its 11th member, ASEAN will expand its scope for development, not only marking a geographical expansion but also carrying profound strategic significance, demonstrating ASEAN's vitality, attractiveness, and inclusiveness. Timor-Leste's participation will create new momentum for regional linkages and connectivity, promoting integration and strengthening the cohesion of the ASEAN Community.

Thirdly, the conferences will open new avenues for cooperation between ASEAN and its partners, not only strengthening cooperation in traditional areas such as trade and investment, but also expanding into strategic areas such as innovation, digital transformation, energy transition, climate change response, and sustainable development. ASEAN and its partners are urgently finalizing many important cooperation documents to be adopted on this occasion, laying the foundation for substantive, effective, and mutually beneficial cooperation, for the goal of peace, stability, sustainable and inclusive development.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, along with leaders of ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste, at the signing ceremony of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration “ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future”, on May 26. (Source: Myasean.my)

What is the purpose and significance of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit, and what are the Deputy Minister's expectations regarding Vietnam's contribution to this conference?

From October 25-28, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will lead a high-level Vietnamese delegation to attend the 47th ASEAN Summit and related meetings in Malaysia.

The year 2025 holds special significance, marking the 30th anniversary of Vietnam's participation in the ASEAN family, a journey built on sincerity, trust, and a high sense of responsibility.

The Prime Minister's working visit therefore carries significant importance. On the one hand, we continue to implement our independent, self-reliant, diversified, and multilateral foreign policy, contributing to consolidating peace and stability, and creating a favorable environment and conditions for achieving the country's strategic goals in the coming period. On the other hand, we affirm Vietnam's pioneering role and responsible contribution within ASEAN, participating in and striving to contribute to the overall success of these conferences, bringing ASEAN cooperation and cooperation between ASEAN and its partners to a deeper and more effective level.

First and foremost , in the context of a volatile strategic environment, Vietnam will play a pioneering role alongside other countries in strengthening ASEAN's solidarity, central role, self-reliance, and strategic autonomy, and enhancing the effectiveness of ASEAN's political and security cooperation mechanisms and tools in responding to traditional and non-traditional security challenges affecting peace and security in the region.

Vietnam supports Timor-Leste's official membership in ASEAN and actively assists Timor-Leste in connecting and fully integrating into ASEAN. The Vietnamese delegation will also actively participate in and engage in frank and good-faith exchanges on international and regional issues of common concern, upholding the values of dialogue, cooperation, and the rule of law, and promoting the search for balanced and sustainable solutions that address shared concerns.

Secondly, Vietnam will propose specific directions for effectively implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, realizing a resilient, dynamic, innovative, and people-centered ASEAN. Accordingly, ASEAN needs to strengthen economic integration, effectively utilize the recently upgraded ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, deepen intra-bloc linkages and the network of FTAs with partners, and effectively exploit new growth drivers through cooperation frameworks such as negotiating the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, building the ASEAN Electricity Network, and implementing the ASEAN Blue Economy and Circular Economy Framework.

Cooperation strategies in education, health, culture, labor, social security, sub-regional development, etc., need to be implemented responsibly, yielding tangible results and practical benefits for people, businesses, and localities.

Thirdly, Vietnam will demonstrate its leading role in connecting ASEAN with its partners, consolidating ASEAN's position and central role in the current regional structure. Vietnam will proactively work with other countries to deepen relations with partners, build trust, encourage partners to participate in and contribute to regional cooperation, mobilize and effectively utilize external support resources, and expand cooperation in potential areas such as digital transformation, the digital economy, and the green economy.

As the coordinating country for ASEAN-New Zealand relations, Vietnam will work with other countries to successfully organize the Summit commemorating the 50th anniversary of relations (1975-2025), promote qualitative changes in relations, upgrade ASEAN-New Zealand relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and open up a new phase of more substantive and comprehensive cooperation.

During the working visit, the Prime Minister is expected to hold numerous bilateral meetings with ASEAN leaders, partner countries, and international organizations, thereby exchanging views and proposing initiatives to promote cooperation and find solutions to current challenges facing ASEAN and the region.

Through this visit, Vietnam once again affirms the strategic importance of ASEAN in its foreign policy, as well as its consistent commitment to continue making positive, proactive, and responsible contributions to building a united, resilient, inclusive, and sustainable ASEAN Community.

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