Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc waves at regional leaders at the online 37th ASEAN Summit on November 12 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - As the Chair of ASEAN in 2020, Vietnam has played and will playa significant role in defining the region’s desire for peace and cooperation, accordingto an analyst from a US university.
In an interviewwith the Vietnam News Agency, Professor Surupa Gupta from the faculty ofPolitical Science and International Affairs at the University of MaryWashington said the country has affirmed the importance of cooperation inseeking peaceful solutions to disputes in the East Sea.
She said Vietnamhas done well in controlling COVID-19 and supported other countries andterritories by providing resources such as medical equipment.
As theASEAN Chair, she went on, Vietnam has used its own experience to focus on anumber of issues, including the building of the bloc’s identity andconnectivity in response to global and regional challenges such as COVID-19.Vietnam has also concentrated on creating an active form of intra-bloc backingto deal with regional and international issues as well as protect the interestsof ASEAN, the region, and the international community.
As such,the bloc has continued to be built based on intra-bloc solidarity and economicintegration.
As forthe ASEAN-US strategic partnership, which passed the half-decade mark thisyear, the professor said that under Vietnam’s chairmanship, the two sides haveforged engagement in health and human resources development. The US valuesASEAN’s role and wants to step up cooperation with both the bloc and Vietnam,she added.
Existing tieshave made substantial contributions to peace and sustainable development in theIndo-Pacific region, with parties sharing the common goal of fighting terrorismand pirates.
ASEAN isnow the US’s fourth-largest trade partner, she said, while noting that bothsides believe in the value of respecting territorial integrity and sovereigntyand the rule of law. The US recognises ASEAN’s central role in handlingregional issues, while both sides value transparency, good management,comprehensiveness, and openness, which are important to improving trade andinvestment in the region.
A review ofpolicies issued by different administrations in the US, she said, shows that nomatter who leads the nation, relations with ASEAN are respected and prioritised.She also expressed her hope that ties will continue to thrive in the time to come./.
VNA
