ASEAN’s central role in promoting int’l economic links under discussion

The 311th meeting of the ASEAN Community in Tokyo. Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – An international workshop highlighting the role and prospects of ASEAN given the volatile situation in the region and the world at large was held in both face-to-face and virtual formats by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) in collaboration with the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam on August 16.

In his opening remarks, VASS Vice President Dr. Dang Xuan Thanh pointed out increasingly complex challenges, especially those related to geopolitics, facing Indo-Pacific in general and ASEAN in particular.

Japan is the most active country in the region that wants to promote peace, stability and prosperity based on the rule of law, and it clearly states that the Indo-Pacific region should be guaranteed navigation and aviation freedom based on international law.

In Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy, relations with ASEAN are particularly emphasised, of which relations with Vietnam are considered the most critical, Thanh said.

The workshop aims to enhance the sharing of information and understanding on implications of Japan's policies and initiatives related to its FOIP strategy, as well as share the views of both sides on regional and international issues, Thanh added.

Associate Professor Sanae Suzuki, an expert in international relations from the University of Tokyo, said Japan attaches importance to its cooperation with ASEAN members in general and Vietnam in particular towards win-win collaboration for the sake of people and stakeholders.

ASEAN needs to enhance the role of its chairman as well as its special envoys in issues related to regional order, especially humanitarian issues in trade development and maritime security, he noted.

According to Nguyen Huy Hoang, Director of the VASS’s Institute for Southeast Asian Studies, promoting economic cooperation mechanisms, with ASEAN playing a central role, will help open up large market opportunities for businesses to expand trade partnerships, attract investment and participate more deeply in global value chains.

ASEAN diplomats at an event marking ASEAN's 55th anniversary in Tokyo. Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) 

Participants at the event focused their discussions on the significance and impact of maintaining ASEAN's central role  on the implementation of Japan's FOIP strategy in Indo-Pacific; the role played by the strategy in supporting ASEAN member nations in improving their strategic autonomy and economic resilience; and the Vietnam-Japan cooperation within the FOIP strategy for peaceful, prosperous and inclusive development./.