The 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Meetings take place at the time when the global and regional situations are rapidly and unpredictably changing, having significant impacts on ASEAN. The global economy is showing a slight recovery trend, and global trade is beginning to grow positively again, but risk factors remain due to conflicts and instability in many areas. Non-traditional security challenges, such as climate change, natural disasters, energy security, and food security, are becoming more complex. Although major trends continue to provide new growth momentum, they also require effective responses to accompanying risks like cyber-security, technology governance, and artificial intelligence.
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Visit for resilient, dynamic, and people-centered ASEAN (Photo for illustration) |
In such a challenging context, ASEAN continues to uphold its unity and firmly position itself as the central player in the regional structure. It plays a nuclear role in promoting dialogue, cooperation, and development, and serves as the focal point for a multitude of initiatives and linkages in the region, contributing to enhancing the capacity to respond to emerging challenges and reinforcing the principle stance on international and regional issues. ASEAN remains a bright spot in the economy, with growth forecasts of 4.6% in 2024 and 4.8% in 2025, well above the global average. Many cooperation frameworks have been promoted, demonstrating ASEAN's pro-activeness in seizing and leveraging new growth drivers such as negotiating the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, the ASEAN Power Grid Framework Agreement, the ASEAN Action Plan on Sustainable Agriculture, and the ASEAN Digital Trade Standards Road-map.
With the spirit “ASEAN: Promoting Connection and Resilience,” ASEAN, under the chairmanship of Laos, has achieved many positive outcomes in building the community by implementing comprehensive plans for 2025 in political-security, economic, and socio-cultural pillars. This has laid a strong foundation and created momentum for the next development phase of the association, towards building a resilient, dynamic, and innovative community that puts people at the center, fostering closer ties and broader cooperation by 2045.
After nearly three decades of participating in this "common house," Vietnam consistently considers ASEAN one of its top priorities in foreign, defense, security, and economic policies. Vietnam's development path during its reform and integration process has been closely linked with ASEAN, yielding significant achievements across various fields. Vietnam has consistently strived to contribute wholeheartedly to a united, strong ASEAN, enhancing its role and stature in both the region and the world. Since the beginning of 2024, Vietnam has closely collaborated with Laos and other member countries to effectively implement cooperation priorities and initiatives, supporting Laos in successfully fulfilling its rotating chairmanship responsibilities, thus contributing to nurturing the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations. Notably, in April this year, Vietnam successfully hosted the ASEAN Future Forum 2024, themed “Toward Fast and Sustainable Growth of a People-Centered ASEAN Community,” clearly demonstrating Vietnam's role and contribution to the collective efforts in the region and the world.
After nearly six decades of formation and development, it can be affirmed that ASEAN has never been in a better position than it is now, nor has it ever faced so many challenges. Therefore, the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Meetings provide an opportunity for leaders to focus on discussing the process of building the ASEAN Community, including promoting timely completion of the comprehensive plans for 2025, establishing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, and outlining strategies for the upcoming phase. They will review and orient ASEAN's relations with partners, especially in fostering cooperation in potential areas, while also exchanging views on regional and international issues impacting ASEAN and enhancing the association's pro-activeness in addressing current challenges.
Having been mature and strengthened through challenges and hardships, ASEAN symbolizes the power of unity, persistent effort, and resilience. The international and regional contexts, with their multifaceted impacts, require ASEAN to strive even harder to maintain and promote the achievements of nearly 60 years of cooperation. ASEAN possesses all the necessary conditions to adapt harmoniously to the changing times and is sure to continue growing robustly in the decades to come. A resilient, dynamic, innovative, and people-centered ASEAN is our common interest. Vietnam has made, is making, and will continue to make efforts alongside other ASEAN member countries to successfully achieve this noble goal.
Translated by Tran Hoai