This is the assessment made by Jonathan Berkshire Miller, Director of Foreign Affairs, National Security and Defence at the Ottawa-based Macdonald-Laurier Institute, an expert on international affairs related to security, defence and geoeconomics in the Indo-Pacific region.
According to Miller, cohesion is always mentioned in all areas in ASEAN, so Vietnam's approach to maintaining cohesion on such issues like the COC is very important.
He also stressed the need for proactivity in ASEAN to respond to future crisis. Vietnam, especially during the pandemic, has taken significant proactive measures, he said in an interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on the occasion of Vietnam's 28th anniversary of ASEAN membership (1995 - 2023).
The Canadian expert added that Vietnam has made important contributions to building the three pillars of the ASEAN Community namely the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC), the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC)
Regarding APSC, Vietnam calls for appropriate behaviour on the East Sea issue, with responses and actions from ASEAN to achieve the goal of ensuring the security and resources of the region. According to Miller, it is necessary to have a fair share and respect for international laws as well as freedom of navigation. Through its initiative, Vietnam is also trying to promote serious political dialogues in Myanmar, he noted.
On the economic pillar, Vietnam is currently part of many regional trade agreements, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Vietnam's leading role is not limited to just a few of these issues, but is motivating other ASEAN members to implement certain reforms to lift their economy to a higher level, he went on.
Regarding ASCC, Miller underlined Vietnam's respect for different ethnic minority groups and different languages in the same country, saying that the way Vietnam handles harmony between ethnic groups and highlights cultural diversity is really a positive thing.
