The Vietnamese delegation led by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh successfully concluded its trip to attend the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related summits in Jakarta, Indonesia, at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Indonesia and Chair of ASEAN in 2023, Joko Widodo. The initiatives and proposals of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and delegations at the conferences, continue to affirm the image of Vietnam participating proactively, actively, contributing responsibly and effectively, together with member countries, to strengthen the central role and promote the responsibility and voice of the Association for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and around the world.

UNITED TO OVERCOMING CHALLENGES

The 43rd ASEAN Summit and related Summits, took place solemnly at the Jakarta Convention Centre, Indonesia, with the participation of leaders of ASEAN member countries, the Secretary General of ASEAN and many representatives of partners, countries and international organisations. The spirit of ASEAN solidarity and efforts to make ASEAN increasingly strong and become an epicentre of growth in the region and the world were messages throughout a series of summits.

Self-reliant and people-centred

At the plenary session of the 43rd ASEAN Summit, leaders of countries emphasised the need to maintain "ASEAN's stature" as "the epicentre of growth". Overcoming difficulties and challenges, ASEAN has maintained its momentum in building the Community, continuing to mark new cooperation in all three pillars of politics-security, economics and culture-society, creating a foundation and motivation for stronger developments in the future. 

The trends of the times facing ASEAN require innovation in thinking, creativity in action and breakthroughs in ideas, to be able to take optimal advantage of new economic growth drivers. In that spirit, the leaders discussed and recognised the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, with thorough directions on building a self-reliant, dynamic, creative and people-centred ASEAN, establishing a strategic framework for stronger development and breakthrough of the Association, over the next 20 years.

To help strengthen the efforts to build a people-oriented and people-centred ASEAN Community, ASEAN leaders have approved several important documents such as declarations on inclusive development for people with disabilities, family development and gender equality, enhancing food security, and pre-school education, among others.

To maintain ASEAN’s stature and role as the epicentre of growth, PM Pham Minh Chinh stressed the need for ASEAN to strengthen its self-reliance by stepping up economic linkages, expanding the intra-bloc market, and facilitating trade and investment flow. He added that ASEAN needs to determine that ensuring regional peace and security is first and foremost the responsibility of ASEAN, emphasising that the group’s member states must uphold the spirit of unity, independence, and self-reliance. 

In the core spirit of ASEAN, which considers people as the centre, the goal and the motivation of the ASEAN Community-building process, the Vietnamese PM announced that Vietnam will host the ASEAN Future Forum on rapid, sustainable, people-centred development to complement ASEAN's official forums and mechanisms, thus providing an opportunity for the exchange of ideas and initiatives for regional cooperation while contributing to building a resilient and sustainable ASEAN Community.

At the retreat session on international and regional issues, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh shared the opinions of the countries, regarding the complex and multidimensional developments in the current international environment. According to the PM, amid fierce competition among major countries, ASEAN must truly become a "trustworthy, reliable bridge", with the ability to regulate and balance relationships and interests, firmly pursue the goal of building an open, transparent, inclusive, and most importantly, unified regional structure, and maintain its principled position on issues directly related to the security and development environment of the region.

Enhancing partnerships

At ASEAN summits with partners, ASEAN welcomed its partners' participation in regional cooperation and their support for ASEAN, in addressing common challenges. ASEAN also reaffirmed its common stance on regional and international issues. 

The partners affirmed that they view ASEAN as the focal force in the region while pledging to help with the ASEAN Community building and make responsible and effective contributions to dialogue, cooperation, and efforts to build an open, transparent, inclusive, and international law-based regional architecture. Partners commit to working closely with ASEAN to promote peace, security, stability and development.

The highlights of these meetings are the documents approved by ASEAN and its partners.

● A joint statement on the establishment of the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, adopted on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the partnership, is an opportunity for the two sides to develop strongly in the future.

● At the ASEAN - Canada Summit, a joint statement on establishing the ASEAN - Canada strategic partnership was adopted, opening a new era of cooperation between the two sides.

● ASEAN and its partners, including China, the Republic of Korea, Japan and the US, also adopted joint statements on cooperation, based on the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP).

● In addition, ASEAN and several partners passed statements on cooperation in many fields, such as: a statement on developing electric vehicle ecosystem, a joint statement on deepening agricultural cooperation, and a declaration on strengthening food security and nutrition in response to crises, among others.

Attending the meetings, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that Vietnam has actively coordinated with other countries to make relations between ASEAN and its partners become more effective and practical. The Prime Minister proposed initiatives and recommendations to promote cooperation between ASEAN and partners in many fields, including economics, trade, investment, health, education, and environment.

The PM also asked ASEAN and its partners to foster cooperation in emerging fields, such as digital transformation, green transformation, energy transformation, and artificial intelligence, while looking towards a greener and more sustainable development future. In addition, the PM also encouraged partners to make more effective contributions to sustainable development in the Mekong sub-region.

As a coordinator of ASEAN-the Republic of Korea (RoK) relations, Vietnam has had many initiatives to boost bilateral relations, and has received support from ASEAN member countries and the RoK. Accordingly, the ASEAN-RoK Day is scheduled to be held in November in Vietnam.

SHARING THE GOAL OF PEACE, STABILITY, AND PROSPERITY

While attending the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related summits in Indonesia, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held meetings with leaders of ASEAN member countries and partners of the Association as well as leaders of other countries and international organisations, during which he exchanged views on strengthening bilateral cooperation as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Strengthening effective and substantial cooperation

During these meetings, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and leaders expressed their delight at the positive development of each country, as well as the bilateral relations; and agreed to further promoting bilateral cooperation in a more effective and substantive manner, thus making positive contributions to peace, stability, and development in the region and the world at large.

The continuous consolidation and tightening of cooperation between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia is an objectively essential need, and holds strategic significance for all three countries. Therefore, they agreed to continue maintaining regular bilateral and trilateral exchanges and contacts. The leaders agreed to increase the effectiveness of existing trilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the early organisation of the 12th Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) Development Triangle Summit and the first meeting of the Chairs of the three National Assemblies in Laos later this year.

The year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam-Japan, Vietnam-Canada, and Vietnam-Bangladesh. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and leaders of these countries agreed to increase the exchange of high-level delegations in the coming time to celebrate these important milestones.

Discussing regional and international issues of mutual concern with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that Vietnam supports and works closely with Indonesia to ensure the success of the 43rd ASEAN Summit and the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2023, contributing to strengthening solidarity, unity, and centrality of ASEAN.

Continuing to be a bright spot of growth

On the occasion of his attendance at summits, PM Pham Minh Chinh received leaders of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank (WB) and World Economic Forum (WEF). At the meetings, leaders of international economic and financial organisations and forums emphasised, that the positive growth of the ASEAN economy in general and the Vietnamese economy, in particular, has made important contributions to boosting the sustainable growth of the world economy in recent years. These organisations and forums wish ASEAN, including Vietnam, to promote its role in connecting economies and have a stronger voice in promoting global cooperation.

At the meetings, PM Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that Vietnam continues to participate and actively contribute to initiatives and activities of international economic and financial organisations and forums. Vietnam will also coordinate and call on major economic centres, including ASEAN, to join hands to implement comprehensive solutions related to both politics and the economy, ensuring a peaceful and stable environment to overcome the current difficulties and challenges.

At the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ASEAN BIS) 2023, as well as meetings with leading Indonesian businesses, PM Pham Minh Chinh affirmed the motto of "harmonious benefits, shared risks". The Government of Vietnam always listens and creates favourable conditions for foreign investors, with effective and sustainable operations in Vietnam. Assessing Vietnam as a very potential and attractive market, foreign businesses expressed confidence in open investment and cooperation opportunities in Vietnam.

The messages of the Vietnamese delegation, led by PM Pham Minh Chinh at the summits, received great attention, support and appreciation from ASEAN member countries and partners. This continues to affirm Vietnam's role and position in ASEAN, as well as in regional and international cooperation processes.