Vietnam officially joined ASEAN in 1995. Since then, Vietnam has played an increasingly important role in maintaining and fostering solidarity within the bloc. Vietnam contributed to promoting Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar joining ASEAN, thereby completing the idea of a “common roof” of 10 Southeast Asian countries and creating new changes for the association, as well as the region.
In addition, Vietnam has also actively coordinated with other member countries to build development orientations and major decisions of the association, notably the ASEAN Charter, ASEAN Vision to 2020, ASEAN Community Vision until 2025, Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity, and others.
Not only fulfilling its responsibilities as a member country, Vietnam also promotes its leading and coordinating role by chairing and hosting many major conferences and events, and assuming the responsibility of the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN. Three years after becoming a member, Vietnam successfully organised the 6th ASEAN Summit in December 1998, with important results, including the Hanoi Action Programme, contributing to the association’s development orientation.
As ASEAN Chairmanship in 2010, Vietnam launched initiatives, such as expanding membership to the East Asia Summit (EAS) by admitting Russia and the US while organising the expanded ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM+) for the first time. Vietnam continued to assume the role of ASEAN Chairmanship on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of joining the association and the fifth anniversary of the ASEAN Community.
Launching the theme “Cohesion and proactive adaptation” for the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020, Vietnam not only helped the bloc respond to unprecedented challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic but also maintained the momentum of cooperation and building the ASEAN Community. Initiatives proposed by Vietnam in this context, including online meetings, continued to be promoted by member countries, contributing to enhancing ASEAN’s adaptability and resilience, as well as accelerating the region’s post-pandemic recovery process.
More and more partners affirm their support for ASEAN’s central role while fostering dialogue, and cooperation and elevating relations with the association. In its efforts to strengthen and expand relations between ASEAN and its partners, Vietnam has made many practical contributions, especially when taking on the role of coordinating relations between the association with the European Union (EU), India, Japan and others.
Vietnam currently holds the task of coordinating ASEAN-the Republic of Korea relations for the 2021-2024 term and is preparing to transfer this task to Thailand, contributing to the efforts to bring this relationship to new heights.
In the context that ASEAN is preparing to enter a new stage of development, at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia in September 2023, Vietnam announced that it would host the ASEAN Future Forum to complement ASEAN forums and official mechanisms, creating opportunities to widely exchange ideas and initiatives on regional cooperation for a resilient and sustainable ASEAN Community.
According to information at the international press conference, held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in early April, the 2024 ASEAN Future Forum had the theme “Toward Fast and Sustainable Growth of a People-Centred ASEAN Community”. Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet stated that this topic reflected the concerns and expectations of Vietnam, as well as countries around the world, closely associated with ASEAN’s development orientation, especially in promoting sustainable economic development and building a “people-oriented” and “people-centred” community.
Being an active, proactive and responsible member of ASEAN brings Vietnam practical benefits, including a favourable environment for integration and development. Vietnam’s imprints in ASEAN’s development further affirm Vietnam’s role and position in the association, as well as in the international arena.
