ASEAN urged to promote self reliance to cope with challenges

Over the past five decades since its foundation, ASEAN has made contributions to shaping peace, stability for development and promoting co-operation in the region.

Delegates attend a symposium “ASEAN post 50 and Việt Nam” held in Hà Nội yesterday. —VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

HÀ NỘI — Over the past five decades since its foundation, ASEAN has made contributions to shaping peace, stability for development and promoting co-operation in the region.

In a fast-moving and unpredictable regional and global developments, the ASEAN future in the next 50 years would be challenging, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Quốc Dũng.

He made the statement at the symposium “ASEAN post 50 and Việt Nam” held in Hà Nội yesterday which discussed opportunities and challenges that the bloc might face in the future path.

The discussion helps Việt Nam make necessary preparations for its ASEAN chairmanship in 2020 which also marks Việt Nam’s 25 years of ASEAN membership and orient the country’s diplomacy policy for the new period, according to the deputy minister.

He hoped the participants would focus their discussion on the ASEAN Community’s look after 2025 and how Việt Nam could effectively contribute to the bloc’s progress.

According to ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Hoàng Anh Tuấn, the achievements made by ASEAN over the past 50 years has demonstrated efficient collaboration among the member states with multiple-tasked political economic system, contributing to regional peace, stability and trust.

“The formation of ASEAN mechanisms have strengthened the bloc’s central role in Asia-Pacific. The bloc has consolidated ASEAN Community progress and upheld its firm position in the world with its role being recognised,” he said.

Participants agreed ASEAN Community facilitated its member states to fully integrate into regional development progress, strengthened the bloc’s leadership role and realised its people-centred and equal right visions.

To address ASEAN-post 50 challenges in upholding its central role in the regional structure as well as those from major countries and impacts of US-China trade war, Tuấn said ASEAN would need to promote its self reliance and reach a consensus on dealing with regional and global issues.

According to Nguyễn Nguyệt Nga, deputy chairwoman of National Committee of Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation, peace, stability, collaboration and connectivity are a major trend in the context of intensive geo-political changes. The roles of small and medium-sized nations as well as regional organisations have been consolidated.

Việt Nam needs to continue its contributions to strengthening ASEAN role which is a primary driving force of shaping Asia-Pacific new structure towards open, transparent, rule-based, inclusive and responsive principals, solving disputes peacefully and building trust.

“Economic co-operation and development must be attached with digital technology and become priority in ASEAN’s global agenda,” she said. — VNS

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