Vietnam determined to work with Malaysia to build a "Sustainable and inclusive" ASEAN Community

Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet, Head of Vietnam ASEAN SOM. (Photo: Provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs )

At the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his wife, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife, along with a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, will pay an official visit to Malaysia and attend the 46th ASEAN Summit and related Summits in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) from May 24-28.

On this occasion, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet, Head of SOM ASEAN Vietnam, answered the press about the content related to the Prime Minister's working trip:

- Could you please tell us the meaning and purpose of the official visit to Malaysia?

Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Malaysia aims to continue implementing the foreign policy of the 13th National Party Congress, which attaches importance to and prioritizes developing relations with neighboring countries and ASEAN, including Malaysia - a comprehensive strategic partner and one of Vietnam's leading important economic partners.

The visit took place on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Vietnam's accession to ASEAN, marking the beginning of the regional and international integration process, demonstrating Vietnam's strong support for Malaysia in its capacity as ASEAN Chair 2025 and its determination to work with Malaysia and ASEAN countries to build a "Sustainable and Inclusive" ASEAN Community, united, strong, and consolidating ASEAN's central role in peace and stability in the region.

This visit will contribute to further deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. Leaders of both sides will propose specific directions and measures to create new momentum, making cooperation and connection between the two countries increasingly deeper and more effective, in accordance with the level of the relationship.

- Could you please give your assessment of the Vietnam-Malaysia relationship and your expectations for this visit?

Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet: Perhaps the fact that the two countries upgraded their relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November 2024 is the most solid assessment and also our highest expectation for the Vietnam-Malaysia relationship.

Senior leaders of the two countries have had regular visits, meetings and exchanges, notably the official visit to Malaysia by General Secretary To Lam (2024) and the visit to Vietnam by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the occasion of attending the 2nd ASEAN Future Forum (February 2025).

General Secretary To Lam and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim take a photo together. (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA)

More recently, within just one month, the Prime Minister had two phone calls with the Malaysian Prime Minister to share assessments of the world and regional situation, and measures to promote bilateral and ASEAN cooperation.

Economic cooperation is an important pillar and is developing positively. Malaysia is currently Vietnam's 3rd largest trading partner in ASEAN and our 9th in the world, and is also Vietnam's 3rd largest investor in ASEAN.

The two countries share similar aspirations for development. In particular, the visions of the two countries overlap in the philosophy of putting people at the center of development: Vietnam takes people as the center, the subject, the goal, the driving force, and the resource for sustainable national development.

Malaysia also aims to be among the top 25 countries in terms of human development in the world in the next 10 years. This is a concrete demonstration of the deep closeness between the two countries, not only geographically, but also in terms of philosophy and long-term development priorities.

I believe that the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will continue to deepen political trust between the two countries; remove difficulties; and propose specific directions and measures to implement the Vietnam-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the coming time, for the benefit of the people of the two countries, for peace, stability and development in the region.

- Could you please tell us about the significance and purpose of the 46th ASEAN Summit and related Summits?

Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet: First of all, 2025 marks a decade since the establishment of the ASEAN Community. These conferences are an opportunity for countries to “reflect” on ASEAN’s journey, overcoming many difficulties and challenges, striving for peace, security, prosperity and development of the region, becoming a cohesive, dynamic and aspirational Community.

Second, in the context of the world and the region going through a turbulent period, the theme of “Inclusiveness and Sustainability” will guide and orient ASEAN cooperation in 2025, focusing on promoting economic, trade and investment linkages and leveraging new growth drivers.

Third, the Summit will adopt a new cooperation framework for the next 20 years. The ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its four strategies on politics-security, economics, culture-society and connectivity will build on past achievements and enhance ASEAN’s capacity and proactiveness in the face of all changes.

Not just adapting, ASEAN needs to lead. Not just acting, ASEAN needs to create. That is the key spirit in the documents guiding ASEAN’s future.

- Could Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet please tell us about Vietnam's messages, directions and contributions to this Summit and the expected documents to be adopted?

Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet: As I have shared, the year 2025 has many special meanings for ASEAN. For Vietnam, that meaning is multiplied as this year marks 30 years since we became part of the ASEAN common home.

The past 30 years have been a journey marking a Vietnam that has become increasingly mature, confident and proactive in participating in ASEAN as well as in the process of international and regional integration.

The past 30 years have also affirmed that ASEAN is an important pillar in Vietnam's foreign policy.

As General Secretary To Lam emphasized in his policy speech at the ASEAN Secretariat last January, “... standing at a new historical starting point, Vietnam and ASEAN are moving towards aspirational goals.”

In that spirit, the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation led by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will attend these Summits with the consistent message of being proactive, responsible and ready to contribute more to the common work of ASEAN.

Vietnam hopes to work with member countries to shape strategic orientations and specific measures to further consolidate the foundation of regional cooperation, while raising the position of the ASEAN Community in the coming period.

Over the past time, Vietnam has closely coordinated with ASEAN countries in the process of building many strategic documents.

In particular, the document package “ASEAN 2045: Our Common Future” will be approved by ASEAN Senior Leaders on this occasion.

Right from the beginning, Vietnamese ministries and sectors actively contributed content, ensuring core principles such as intra-bloc solidarity and ASEAN's central role, while proposing many innovative and practical ideas to create breakthroughs for cooperation in all three pillars of the Community as well as interdisciplinary and inter-pillar areas.

This is also clearly demonstrated through Vietnam's leading role in organizing the ASEAN Future Forum in 2024 and 2025, creating opportunities for open discussion on essential issues for the future of ASEAN and the region, thereby making a substantial contribution to shaping ASEAN cooperation until 2045. With the theme "Inclusive and Sustainable," these Conferences are expected to open up many new directions, contributing to consolidating the process of building the Community and adding momentum to the relationship between ASEAN and its partners.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the ASEAN Future Forum 2025. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)

On that basis, Vietnam will discuss and agree with other countries on cooperation priorities in the following three major groups of contents:

Firstly, reaffirming the value and vitality of multilateralism, promoting dialogue, building trust and respect for international law, and promoting ASEAN's central role in the region in a volatile geostrategic context.

Second, launch a new roadmap for the process of building the ASEAN Community, towards realizing the aspiration of a self-reliant, creative, dynamic and people-centered ASEAN.

Third, promote intra-bloc and extra-bloc connectivity, focusing on expanding trade and investment cooperation space, effectively promoting existing agreements, and contributing to promoting a fair, transparent and rule-based multilateral trade system.

I believe that with the companionship of member countries and the support of partners, these Conferences will not only continue the achievements but also create new changes, making practical contributions to peace, stability and sustainable development.

- Thank you very much, Deputy Minister./.

(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/viet-nam-quyet-tam-cung-malaysia-xay-dung-cong-dong-asean-ben-vung-va-bao-trum-post1040366.vnp