Participants at the meeting (Photo: VNA) Jakarta (VNA) – ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi has lauded Vietnam’s leadership and persistence in leading the ASEAN in building the ASEAN Community, and especially in promoting the grouping’s joint efforts in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Addressing the first meeting in 2021 of the Committee ofPermanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) held on January 15 in online form, the ASEAN leader noted that 2020 was a year of difficulties and challengesbrought about by COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted the special position of theCPR in ASEAN activities in Jakarta.
Under the leadership of the Vietnam mission to ASEAN, the CPR worked effectively in coordination with other ASEAN mechanisms andthe ASEAN Secretariat in fulfilling tasks in 2020, contributing tostrengthening inter-sectorial and inter-pillar cooperation and coordination inthe building of the ASEAN Community, expanding the bloc’s collaboration withpartners and improving the capacity of the ASEAN Secretariat, he said.
In 2021 when COVID-19 pandemic is developingcomplicatedly, he held that Brunei’s choosing the theme of “We Care, WePrepare, We Prosper” for its ASEAN Chairmanship Year is a suitable choice.
Along with promoting ASEAN Community building, one ofthe major tasks of Brunei in the year is reconstructing the region through theimplementation of the ASEAN ComprehensiveRecovery Framework (ACRF) aswell as initiatives approved by ASEAN leaders in 2020, he said.
Ambassador Tran DucBinh, head of the Vietnam permanent mission to the ASEAN, thankedrepresentatives of countries to the ASEAN for their support and effectivecollaboration in 2020 while Vietnam served as ASEAN Chair.
He expressed his belief that Brunei, as theChair of CPR in 2021, will successfully complete tasks for 2021.
Vietnam will continue to work closely with theBrunei mission and the CPR as a whole to realise priorities and initiatives in2021 during the ASEAN Chairmanship Year of Brunei, he pledged./.
