July 28, 2015 marks 20 years since Vietnam joined ASEAN, which is alsowhen the group has seen the most important, dynamic and comprehensivedevelopment, said Ambassador Nguyen Hoanh Nam, Head of the VietnamesePermanent Representative delegation to ASEAN, in an interview granted tothe Vietnam News Agency.
Nam said that overthe past two decades, ASEAN has developed from an undisciplined groupwith six members to a 10 member-strong association operating based onlegal principles of the ASEAN Charter.
By theend of this year, ASEAN will become an ASEAN Community and announce anASEAN Community roadmap beyond 2015, opening up a new chapter for thebloc to engage in deeper and wider connectivity.
It is noteworthy that ASEAN has come to play an important role informing, building and leading regional structures. Through initiatingand chairing such forums and mechanisms as ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, East AsiaSummit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and ASEAN Defence Ministers’Meeting Plus (ADMM+), the group has been playing an important role inenhancing dialogue, building trust and preventing conflicts in Asia-thePacific.
ASEAN’s relations with its partnershave been expanded and deepened as well. The group has establisheddialogue partnerships with Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, theRepublic of Korea (RoK), New Zealand, Russia, the US and the EuropeanUnion. It has also implemented free trade agreements (FTAs) withAustralia, New Zealand, China, India, Japan and the RoK, and isnegotiating a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
Ambassador Nam stressed that Vietnam has done its utmost to work withother ASEAN member countries in an active, positive and responsiblemanner to achieve the successes.
Vietnam hascontributed actively to the building process of the ASEAN Community fromforming the idea to designing and implementing policies. In 1998, just 3years after joining the group, the country chaired the sixth ASEANSummit in Hanoi. Notably, the country successfully fulfilled the role asChair of ASEAN in 2010 – an important period for the community buildingprocess. It was one of the first five countries to ratify the ASEANCharter, and is considered one of the leading countries in completingtasks towards the formation of the community by the end of this year.
Vietnam is also among the most active countries inpromoting intra-bloc unity and self-reliance and in boosting thegroup’s central role in the regional structure. The country hastirelessly worked with other members to overcome difficulties,particularly the 1997-1998 financial crisis.
Vietnam has made important contributions to maintaining a peaceful andstable environment in the region, including assuring peace and maritimesecurity and safety in the East Sea. The country continually upholds theimportance of following the ASEAN Charter and the Treaty of Amity andCooperation as a code of conduct which adjusts relations among nationsin the region, be they big or small, especially the principles of notusing or threatening to use force and addressing all disputes bypeaceful means on the basis of international law.
Regarding the East Sea issue, the diplomat confirmed that Vietnamalways emphasises the importance of maintaining peace, stability,security, safety and freedom of aviation and maritime in the East Sea;restraining and avoiding actions that can complicate the status quo; notusing or threatening to use force; addressing any disputes by peacefulmeasures with respect to international law, the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea; and fully implementing the Declarationon the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) while working for anearly formation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
Discussing the contributions of the Vietnamese delegation to ASEAN tothe building of the ASEAN Community beyond 2015, Ambassador Nam saidthe delegation will continue to coordinate with the Committee ofPermanent Representatives (CPR) to ASEAN in putting political decisioninto specific action plans and working programmes as well as proposingsolutions to arising challenges.
The delegationwill work with agencies at home to complete Vietnam’s tasks towards theformation of the ASEAN Community in late 2015 and populariseopportunities brought by the community to the Vietnamese people, hesaid.
He continued to say that the delegationwill also ensure updates on ASEAN activities as well as study andprovide Vietnam with information and experience of other regionalcountries during their integration process.
Integration into ASEAN opens up a new stage for Vietnam, creating apeaceful, stable and prosperous environment and serving the country’sdevelopment goals. The delegation’s activities fall very much in linewith these priorities, he added.-VNA
Nam said that overthe past two decades, ASEAN has developed from an undisciplined groupwith six members to a 10 member-strong association operating based onlegal principles of the ASEAN Charter.
By theend of this year, ASEAN will become an ASEAN Community and announce anASEAN Community roadmap beyond 2015, opening up a new chapter for thebloc to engage in deeper and wider connectivity.
It is noteworthy that ASEAN has come to play an important role informing, building and leading regional structures. Through initiatingand chairing such forums and mechanisms as ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, East AsiaSummit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and ASEAN Defence Ministers’Meeting Plus (ADMM+), the group has been playing an important role inenhancing dialogue, building trust and preventing conflicts in Asia-thePacific.
ASEAN’s relations with its partnershave been expanded and deepened as well. The group has establisheddialogue partnerships with Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, theRepublic of Korea (RoK), New Zealand, Russia, the US and the EuropeanUnion. It has also implemented free trade agreements (FTAs) withAustralia, New Zealand, China, India, Japan and the RoK, and isnegotiating a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
Ambassador Nam stressed that Vietnam has done its utmost to work withother ASEAN member countries in an active, positive and responsiblemanner to achieve the successes.
Vietnam hascontributed actively to the building process of the ASEAN Community fromforming the idea to designing and implementing policies. In 1998, just 3years after joining the group, the country chaired the sixth ASEANSummit in Hanoi. Notably, the country successfully fulfilled the role asChair of ASEAN in 2010 – an important period for the community buildingprocess. It was one of the first five countries to ratify the ASEANCharter, and is considered one of the leading countries in completingtasks towards the formation of the community by the end of this year.
Vietnam is also among the most active countries inpromoting intra-bloc unity and self-reliance and in boosting thegroup’s central role in the regional structure. The country hastirelessly worked with other members to overcome difficulties,particularly the 1997-1998 financial crisis.
Vietnam has made important contributions to maintaining a peaceful andstable environment in the region, including assuring peace and maritimesecurity and safety in the East Sea. The country continually upholds theimportance of following the ASEAN Charter and the Treaty of Amity andCooperation as a code of conduct which adjusts relations among nationsin the region, be they big or small, especially the principles of notusing or threatening to use force and addressing all disputes bypeaceful means on the basis of international law.
Regarding the East Sea issue, the diplomat confirmed that Vietnamalways emphasises the importance of maintaining peace, stability,security, safety and freedom of aviation and maritime in the East Sea;restraining and avoiding actions that can complicate the status quo; notusing or threatening to use force; addressing any disputes by peacefulmeasures with respect to international law, the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea; and fully implementing the Declarationon the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) while working for anearly formation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
Discussing the contributions of the Vietnamese delegation to ASEAN tothe building of the ASEAN Community beyond 2015, Ambassador Nam saidthe delegation will continue to coordinate with the Committee ofPermanent Representatives (CPR) to ASEAN in putting political decisioninto specific action plans and working programmes as well as proposingsolutions to arising challenges.
The delegationwill work with agencies at home to complete Vietnam’s tasks towards theformation of the ASEAN Community in late 2015 and populariseopportunities brought by the community to the Vietnamese people, hesaid.
He continued to say that the delegationwill also ensure updates on ASEAN activities as well as study andprovide Vietnam with information and experience of other regionalcountries during their integration process.
Integration into ASEAN opens up a new stage for Vietnam, creating apeaceful, stable and prosperous environment and serving the country’sdevelopment goals. The delegation’s activities fall very much in linewith these priorities, he added.-VNA
