Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son addresses the ceremony (Photo: VNA) The ceremony was chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui ThanhSon, with the attendance of Deputy FM and Head of Vietnam's SOM ASEAN NguyenQuoc Dung, Honorary President of the ASEAN Women’s Circle ofHanoi (AWCH) Vu Thi Bich Ngoc, and the participation via videconference of ambassadors and representativesfrom nine embassies of ASEAN member countries in Hanoi.
The annual event aims to honour the association’s commonvalues and commitments to promote solidarity, friendship and cooperation underthe common house of ASEAN Community.
Addressing the ceremony, Son highlightedthat the great achievements of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are the fruits of restless efforts inthe cooperation process of people from ASEAN member countries.
Despite ups and downs in the history andvarious challenges, ASEAN has been a valuable asset and great interest ofall member countries, requiring efforts of all members to maintain andreinforce.
Underliningadverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the current fourth wave of infections, the ministerlauded ASEAN’s stronger responding capacity and creativity in dealing withthe pandemic, evidently through the prompt and timely implementation of initiativessuch as the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund, which has received more than 20million USD, and the ASEAN Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies for PublicHealth Emergencies, thus becoming ready to support needy areas, along witheconomic measures to avoid the disruption of supply chains and form a safetravel corridor.
Son also stressed that amid great difficulties and challenges, thespirit of ASEAN Community and the awareness of the community must be associatedin harmony into common responding efforts in national and regional levels.People in the region must feel their role as the soul and the cell of the ASEANCommunity, he stated.
On the occasion, the minister announced the implementation of a decision of ASEAN leaders to encouragethe regular hanging of the ASEAN flag at government offices from August 8.
Vietnam will fly the ASEAN flagalongside the national flag, initially at the Foreign Ministry's headquarters, andthen government offices.
He expressed belief that flying the ASEAN flag will contribute to deepening the friendship and solidarityamong ASEAN, reinforcing the social and cultural relationship amongASEAN people, enhancing the awareness about the association and inspiring peopleon the collective spirit and motivating their felling of belonging to the ASEANCommunity./.
VNA
