Self-reliance and strategic autonomy are the foundation for ASEAN to stand firm in the face of all fluctuations.

On the morning of October 9 in the capital Vientiane, under the chairmanship of Laos, the Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2024, the 44th - 45th ASEAN Summits and related Summits with the theme "Enhancing ASEAN Connectivity and Resilience" officially opened.

In his opening speech at the conference, Lao Party General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith stressed that ASEAN’s successes have contributed to creating a favorable environment for the socio-economic development of member countries over the past time. Meanwhile, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone stressed the importance of strengthening connectivity and self-reliance to build a strong ASEAN Community.

The Lao Prime Minister said that up to now, the 9 priorities in the 2024 ASEAN Chairmanship Year with the slogan "Enhancing ASEAN Connectivity and Resilience" have all made positive progress, including the development of strategies for the 3 pillars of the ASEAN Community and the ASEAN connectivity strategy to organize the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045; affirming that in 2024, ASEAN has emphasized the building of a more connected and stronger ASEAN, in order to cope with challenges and seize opportunities to continue building an increasingly stronger ASEAN Community.

ASEAN has increasingly become a region that is recognized and cared for by external partners, with dialogue partners and other external partners consistently supporting ASEAN's central role in the evolving regional cooperation architecture, including the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).

The membership of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) is growing and many countries are applying to become members of this important treaty; the number of ASEAN partner countries and agencies is increasing…

Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone emphasized that ASEAN and other regions in the world are currently facing many challenges, from armed conflicts to economic and financial difficulties, climate change and natural disasters, transnational crimes, etc. while the geopolitical and geo-economic situation continues to evolve in a complex manner. In this situation, ASEAN needs to firmly maintain its autonomy, strengthen cooperation to deal with challenges in a timely and effective manner, and effectively take advantage of all opportunities.

Speaking at the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his gratitude for the sharing and support of ASEAN countries in overcoming the consequences of super typhoon Yagi in countries, including Vietnam. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that solidarity and mutual love, “one for all, all for one” continue to be the core values ​​and source of strength of ASEAN.

In the context of an increasingly volatile world, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh commented that overall there is peace, but locally there is war; overall there is reconciliation, but locally there is tension; overall there is stability, but locally there is conflict. In such a challenging situation, ASEAN continues to be a bright spot in the global economy, a bridge of dialogue and cooperation, and the focal point of integration and linkage processes in the region. Frameworks on digital economy, blue economy, circular economy, etc. are gradually shaping new cooperation content in the region.

Expressing his agreement with the ASEAN 2024 theme of “Promoting Connectivity and Resilience”, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that more than ever, ASEAN needs to take self-reliance as the foundation to reach new heights, take connectivity as the focus to make breakthroughs, and take innovation as the driving force to pioneer and lead. On that basis, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh shared important orientations for ASEAN in the coming time.

Firstly , self-reliance and strategic autonomy are the foundation for ASEAN to stand firm in the face of all changes and overcome all challenges. Accordingly, ASEAN needs to strengthen solidarity and unity in diversity, adhere to standards of conduct and persist in ASEAN's principled stance on international and regional issues. ASEAN needs to enhance its self-reliance capacity, promote endogenous resources to maintain internal strategic stability and respond promptly to external risks.

Second, promoting internal connectivity combined with external connectivity, public-private connectivity, and multi-sectoral connectivity, with a focus on infrastructure, institutional, and human connectivity, is a strategic breakthrough for ASEAN. Third, innovation is the driving force and driving force for ASEAN to catch up, move forward, and surpass the region and the world.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also emphasized that ASEAN needs to maintain its central, independent, balanced role and behave principledly in implementing foreign relations, expanding and diversifying relations with partners on the basis of ensuring effectiveness, substance and mutual benefit.

Wishing to contribute more to regional cooperation, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh announced that Vietnam will continue to host the ASEAN Future Forum in 2025 and hopes that countries will continue to pay attention and support Vietnam in successfully organizing this event.

On this occasion, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that Vietnam supports and closely coordinates with Malaysia in its role as ASEAN Chair in 2025 to continue achieving new results, marking 10 years of the formation of the ASEAN Community.

Vietnam actively contributes to the development and success of ASEAN.

According to Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Khamphao Ernthavanh, Vietnam is an ASEAN member country that plays an important role in implementing ASEAN's development vision, making great contributions to policy making and the process of building the ASEAN community with three pillars: Political-Security Community, Economic Community and Socio-Cultural Community.

Vietnam is a country with a rapidly growing and developing economy in the region, playing an important role and having relationships with many countries, especially with major countries, which has directly contributed to strengthening cooperative relations with ASEAN countries through the ASEAN mechanism with partner countries; firmly maintaining the stance of taking ASEAN as the center.

In particular, Vietnam has done well in promoting cultural exchanges and its “bamboo diplomacy” policy. This is an important factor in enhancing awareness and understanding of Vietnam’s role and position in the regional and international arena.

Sharing with the press, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet, Head of ASEAN SOM Vietnam (at the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting) said that after nearly 3 decades of joining ASEAN, Vietnam has affirmed itself as a responsible member with an increasingly important role and voice. Our participation and contribution to ASEAN in recent times can be summarized in the following words: proactive implementation, substantive participation and sincere contribution.

Anh Thu