Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that after 50 years of establishment and development, ASEAN has achieved many successes, along with its increasing role, position and prestige in the region and the world. The ASEAN Community, established in 2015, has become a “safe home” for regional residents, where they can live in peace, stability, cooperation and development.
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Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaking at the event |
Twenty years of development of ASEAN has been imprinted with Vietnam’s hallmarks and contribution, he said, stressing that Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020 is both the responsibility and opportunity of the country to promote its role and position in the region and international arena. 2020 is also a year with many great milestones for both Vietnam and ASEAN.
PM Phuc stated that Vietnam always determines the relationship with ASEAN as a top priority, a cornerstone in its multilateral diplomacy. It is also the spirit of Directive No.25 of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat on promoting and raising multilateral foreign affairs by 2030, a priority of the multilateral external activities in the next 10 years. Vietnam wishes to make more practical contribution to the process of building and developing a united ASEAN Community that is able to play a central role in the region, for the sake of a harmonious, cohesive, highly-adaptive and prosperous bloc.
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Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and members of the Committee in a joint photo |
PM Phuc emphasized that the top requirement is to reach agreement on perceptions on strategic importance of ASEAN as well as opportunities and benefits ASEAN brings about, so as to boost initiatives, creativity, cooperation and actions. Also, he urged relevant agencies to make joint efforts to successfully implement the 2020 ASEAN Chairmanship year, in order to achieve three big successes in the year’s content, ensuring security and safety, and popularize the cultural identities, country and people of Vietnam.
After the launch, the National ASEAN 2020 Committee held its first meeting under the chair of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh. The meeting focused on discussing issues related to the committee’s structure, its working schedule, theme and priorities as well as the road-map for preparation and implementation of the ASEAN Chairmanship 2020.
Translated by Duc Nguyen