Vietnam makes important contributions to 26th ASEAN Summit's success

The 26th ASEAN Summit has wrapped up with success in Malaysia. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung granted reporters an interview on the important contributions made by the Vietnamese delegation, headed by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, to the summit’s success.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung (Credit: VNA)

Q: What can you say about Vietnam’s contributions to the summit’s success?

A: The Vietnamese delegation participated actively in the summit’s activities, including the Senior Officials’ Meetings and ministerial and high-level meetings. PM Dung attended the high-level summit and actively raised constructive ideas in discussion sessions, particularly those on ASEAN’s priorities related to forming the ASEAN Community and shaping the bloc’s post-2015 development directions; boosting its external affairs and central role promoting unity, unification and the role of the association in addressing issues in the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea), contributing to maintaining regional peace and security; fostering the construction of the people-centred ASEAN Community with practical recommendations for implementation; and enhancing the bloc’s resolution in joining hands to cope with regional and global challenges effectively.

Other members of the delegation also participated in the event actively, making contributions to the summit’s success. Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh joined the Foreign Ministers’ meeting and had many sidelines bilateral meetings, while Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang European Commissioner for Trade met with European Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom to discuss ASEAN-EU co-operation and resume discussions on the matter.

The delegation’s contributions were recognised and valued by other ASEAN member countries.

Q: This is the first ASEAN summit in 2015, the year to mark the establishment of the ASEAN Community. What can you say about the summit’s significance?

A: The summit is very important as the bloc will establish the ASEAN Community this year. Leaders reviewed preparations for the establishment and determined that over 90% of preparations in politics, security, economics, and socio-cultural affairs have been completed. They agreed on measures to complete the remaining tasks.

The tasks include supports to customs co-operation, solutions on connecting economies, a post-2015 vision, measures to cope with future challenges and a draft report to submit to the ASEAN Summit by the end of the year.

The summit adopted three declarations − a People-Oriented, People-Centred ASEAN; the Global Movement of Moderates; and Institutionalising the Resilience of ASEAN and it’s Communities and Peoples to Disasters and Climate Change − together with President’s Statement.

The President’s Statement stated serious concerns of ASEAN member countries’ leaders about large-scale land reclamation being undertaken in the East Sea, which has eroded trust and confidence and may undermine peace, security and stability at sea.

The Statement stated that the leaders discussed and the member countries raised their ideas at different levels that the Declaration of Conduct in the South China Sea (DOC) should be strictly followed; a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) should be reached as soon as possible, and disputes should be resolved peacefully with restraints and through dialogues.

Q: What should Vietnam and ASEAN member countries do from now to the end of the year when the ASEAN Community is established?

A: Vietnam and the other countries agreed that the community’s construction is a process. Vietnam has so far fulfilled its commitments in joining the community. One of the tasks the country will realise is communicating with people from all walks of life on the advantages of participation and issues posed by the process to address.

Vietnam should make legal adjustments in order to join and implement ASEAN’s legal regulations. The integration into ASEAN economic and trade frameworks also brings businesses both opportunities and challenges of competitiveness.

Thank you very much!

(Source: nhandan.org.vn)