At the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation will attend the 43^rd ASEAN Summit and related meetings in Jakarta, Indonesia, from September 4-7. At the meetings, the Vietnamese delegation will convey a message of a peace-loving, cooperative and integrating Vietnam that is participating more actively and effectively in processes to regional and international friends.

EPICENTRE OF COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

The global and regional situations are witnessing rapid and complex developments. The world’s economy is expected to improve but the growth path remains bumpy due to financial risks, inflation and geo-political instability. Rivalry between countries, especially major powers, is becoming more intense and widespread. The Indo-Pacific region is both the epicentre of growth and the focus of rivalry.

Facing challenges both internally and externally, the ASEAN community has maintained its solidarity, moving towards the group’s development strategy until 2045, as well as affirming its central role in the region. Relations between ASEAN and its partners continue to expand and deepen. Partner countries of ASEAN respect the central role of ASEAN, and wish for practical and long-term cooperation with ASEAN, through many practical initiatives and expanding cooperation in various potential fields. 

Themed ‘ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth’, Indonesia, in its capacity as ASEAN Chair this year, has put forward numerous initiatives to promote the region’s sustainable economic growth and capacity building, as well as ASEAN’s operational efficiency, thus creating a driving force for cooperation and consolidating the group’s role as a leading force, in the process of dialogue and cooperation for peace, stability and sustainable development throughout the region. 

The 43^rd ASEAN Summit and related meetings are of paramount importance, providing an opportunity for the leaders to examine ASEAN’s strategic issues, its development, and measures, to create motivation for regional cooperation in the coming time. The leaders will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Accordingly, the focus of exchanges of these meetings is to evaluate the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and master plans on the three pillars of politics and security, economics, and culture-society. The strategic development orientation of ASEAN in the next 20 years, towards a united, resilient, creative, dynamic and people-centred ASEAN Community, will also be prioritised for discussion. ASEAN members will also review and discuss directions and measures to strengthen and deepen the relationship between the Association and its partners. 

These summits are expected to approve and acknowledge many documents, including strategic, long-term documents and documents on specific areas of cooperation within ASEAN and between the Association with its partners such as food security, digital economy, blue ocean economy, agriculture and electric vehicle ecosystems.

AN ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE MEMBER

As an active and responsible member, Vietnam has made many important contributions to the development and achievements of ASEAN since joining the Association.

Vietnam has acted as a nucleus to maintain and promote intra-bloc solidarity. Vietnam has actively cooperated with member countries to contribute to the building of important orientations and decisions of ASEAN. Vietnam's initiatives, especially during its ASEAN Chairmanship, have all contributed to creating momentum to promote the process of building the Community.

Continuing contributions to the Association in recent years and closely following the theme of the ASEAN Year 2023, Vietnam continues to join member countries in maintaining and promoting a balanced and harmonious approach to regional and international issues, strengthening the central role and promoting ASEAN's responsibility and voice for peace, stability and development. In addition, Vietnam continues to persevere and skillfully integrate and promote its concerns and priorities in ASEAN, such as continuing to maintain and promote its principled stance on the East Sea/South China Sea and its contents for the development of the Mekong sub-region.

This has been shown through the suggestions and contributions of the Vietnamese delegation at the 42^nd ASEAN Summit, as well as the meetings of ministers and senior officials over the past years. The proposals of the Vietnamese delegation received the attention, support and appreciation of the leaders of the countries attending this year’s Summit.

Leading the Vietnamese delegation to attend the 43^rd ASEAN Summit and related summits, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will deliver speeches on Vietnam’s perspectives, initiatives, and orientation, in many important areas of cooperation, to realise the theme of the ASEAN Year 2023, which is building a united and strong ASEAN Community, with an increasingly important role in the region and the world, for practical benefits of the people.

The main message of the Vietnamese delegation when participating in this series of meetings, is to promote the value of dialogue, cooperation, respect for the law, balanced and harmonious approaches to common issues, and the consolidation of the stance of ASEAN on regional and international issues.

On the occasion of attending the meetings, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is expected to meet with leaders of many countries and international organisations, to foster bilateral cooperation and discuss issues of mutual interest.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s trip aims to continue implementing the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, diversification, and multilateralisation. The messages and contributions of the Vietnamese delegation at the Summit will continue to affirm the image of a proactive, positive and responsible Vietnam in ASEAN.