ASEAN Secretary General highly appreciates Vietnam's role in the region

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn highly appreciated Vietnam's active, proactive and increasingly extensive contributions during 30 years of accompanying ASEAN.

ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn in an interview. (Photo: Do Quyen/VNA)

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On the occasion of the 58th anniversary of ASEAN's founding (August 8, 1967 - August 8, 2025) and the 30th anniversary of Vietnam's official accession to the Association (July 28, 1995 - July 28, 2025), ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn answered VNA reporters in Indonesia about the Association's development journey.

He especially appreciated Vietnam's active, proactive and increasingly extensive contributions during 30 years of accompanying ASEAN.

- In the context that ASEAN is facing many challenges, such as global geopolitical fluctuations, tariffs and issues related to member countries, how do you think ASEAN will continue to maintain its solidarity and central role?

Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn: ASEAN has gone through 58 years of formation, development and growth, and we are also heading towards an important milestone - the 60th anniversary of our founding in 2027. That journey has not been easy. We have faced many challenges, from within the bloc, in the region, to global fluctuations. I believe that, through each period, despite different contexts, ASEAN has clearly demonstrated its ability to adapt and recover. That means we have responded proactively, flexibly and effectively to difficulties.

On the occasion of ASEAN Day 8/8 this year, I would like to emphasize the key message revolving around ASEAN's core interests, which are to maintain, strengthen and promote peace and security in the region, among member states as well as within each country.

In addition, the priority of promoting shared prosperity continues to be the focus, with ASEAN leaders and ministers working to minimize the negative impact of tariffs and trade issues - impacts that can be felt both in the short and long term.

Therefore, ASEAN needs to have a proactive strategy to navigate through this difficult period, while enhancing its capacity to respond to global issues such as climate change, and expanding cooperation both within the bloc and with international partners.

The issues we face may originate from within the member states themselves, or from the regional and international environment. However, it is important that ASEAN always upholds the spirit of community, which is affirmed in the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, marking a pivotal stage in the process of building the ASEAN Community.

General Secretary To Lam with ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn at the ASEAN Secretariat Headquarters. (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA)

To date, ASEAN leaders have adopted the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. This is the first time ASEAN has developed a 20-year strategic plan, building on what we have achieved and valuable lessons learned in the past. We cannot take peace and prosperity for granted. It is our responsibility to continue to work hard to identify and overcome the challenges that undermine our unity and solidarity.

There are challenges that are easily seen, and there are challenges that will take time to clarify. But most importantly, we must always maintain our awareness of ASEAN's common interests - for a cohesive, resilient and central community in the region.

- After 30 years of accompanying ASEAN, Vietnam has made positive contributions, and ASEAN has also opened up many opportunities for Vietnam. Can you make some recommendations for more effective cooperation between ASEAN and Vietnam in the future?

Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn: Vietnam has been an active member for the past 30 years, as demonstrated by the initiatives and proposals that Vietnam has put forward. Notably, Vietnam will take turns hosting the 25th anniversary of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI).

Within the framework of ASEAN's cooperation mechanisms, both among member countries and between ASEAN and dialogue partners in the ASEAN+1 mechanism, Vietnam has repeatedly assumed the role of coordinating country, not only demonstrating its credibility, but also making a substantial contribution to ASEAN's integration process.

Vietnam has also actively participated in multilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the East Asia Summit (EAS), and the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus). This has contributed to strengthening adaptive capacity and promoting the development of cooperative institutions in ASEAN, contributing to the strength of the community.

In addition, Vietnam has held the ASEAN Chairmanship for three times. During its tenure, Vietnam has made positive contributions, not only in coordinating political-security and economic cooperation, but also in attracting foreign investment to the region. Although the level of investment attraction among countries varies, in general, all members benefit from this capital flow.
Vietnam also actively promotes cooperation in areas such as tourism, agriculture, and education - which are among the three main pillars of the ASEAN Community: Political-Security, Economic, and Cultural-Society.

Vietnam co-chairs the 23rd ARF Inter-Sessional Meeting on Disaster Relief. (Photo: VNA)

With a population of over 100 million people - the third largest in ASEAN after Indonesia and the Philippines - and an impressive economic growth rate, Vietnam not only contributes significantly to the regional GDP, but also plays an important role in maintaining peace, stability and sustainable development in the region. I believe that, with its achievements, Vietnam will continue to contribute more to the Association.

- In the 4.0 industrial revolution, especially with the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), how do you evaluate the potential for technological cooperation between Vietnam and ASEAN countries, as well as Vietnam's role in the regional digital transformation trend?

Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn: Digital transformation is currently one of ASEAN’s top strategic priorities. This process has been going on strongly, and will certainly continue to be promoted in the future. Within the framework of regional cooperation, ASEAN is actively exchanging and coordinating on key issues such as artificial intelligence, access to new technologies, as well as promoting negotiations on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA). This is an important initiative that we expect to be completed in 2025 and reach an agreement next year.

I believe that Vietnam - with its large population and abundant young workforce - will play a prominent role in this process. With its existing advantages, the digital economy in Vietnam is developing rapidly and is full of potential.

Vietnam is also investing heavily in digital infrastructure, education and human resource training to meet the requirements of digital transformation. It is worth noting that in this area, ASEAN not only promotes intra-bloc cooperation, but also expands partnerships with external countries and organizations with technological and resource potential such as the US, China, Japan, South Korea and the European Union.

The key issue is that we need to maintain an open spirit, proactively exchange and actively coordinate with partners to maximize the potential of digital transformation, for the common benefit of the entire region.

- Thank you very much./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/tong-thu-ky-asean-danh-gia-cao-vai-tro-cua-viet-nam-trong-khu-vuc-post1054245.vnp