Philippines and Viet Nam share a common desire of ASEAN for a peaceful and stable region
The past 30 years of Viet Nam’s membership in the ASEAN has been a testament to the principle of inclusive growth of ASEAN as a regional block and the wisdom of the Doi moi policy of the Party and the State of Viet Nam.
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| Party General Secretary To Lam received Ambassador of Philippines to Viet Nam Meynardo Los Banos Montealegre on April 24. (Source: Nhan Dan) |
A reinforcing effect within ASEAN
Viet Nam’s deep desire to integrate and embrace our ASEAN identity and principles was done by Viet Nam wholeheartedly across all fields - political, economic, and socio-cultural - as soon as it became a member in 1995 and even to this date 30 years after its accession.
In turn, Viet Nam’s commitment and efforts to ASEAN strengthened the regional block and helped not just Viet Nam but each member state reap the benefits of the organization.
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| Ambassdor of Philippines to Viet Nam Meynardo Los Banos Montealegre. (Photo: Ngoc Nguyen) |
Indeed it can be said that Viet Nam’s critical contribution had a reinforcing effect within ASEAN and among its fellow member states that helped provide mutually beneficial benefits to all ASEAN members and the organization itself as can be seen with the political and economic expansion of our regional organization into what it is today.
Politically, Viet Nam has demonstrated its unwavering commitment to the fundamental principles of ASEAN by embedding the organization’s core principles into Viet Nam’s foreign policy.
Socio-culturally, I believe that Viet Nam’s tremendous and conscious effort to instill such values within the Vietnamese state and society has also been pivotal in sustaining and nurturing the seeds of solidarity and amity across fellow ASEAN.
And Viet Nam’s peaceful and stable economic development has mutually benefited the region’s closely knit economy reinforcing further integration and mutually beneficial development among our nations.
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| Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son met Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro on July 9 on the sidelines of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM 58) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
An unprecedented opportunity to contribute for peace
Our existence in a deeply integrated global environment makes each ASEAN Member State vulnerable to the unprecedented challenges brought about by complex political and economic developments. Across the world, there is unprecedented conflict the scale of which we may not have seen or experienced since the Second World War and affected many countries - both directly and indirectly.
Through the pragmatic approach of our ASEAN leaders, we have managed to maintain the ASEAN peace and way of life in the midst of these unprecedented challenges. However, our region does not live in isolation.
While the ASEAN region is strong and promising, our economies and the standard of living of our peoples are still growing and have yet to reach our full potential. Therefore, our future as a region is also at stake such that we cannot remain complacent with the perspective that these conflicts are happening far from the ASEAN region.
Hence, our commitment to consensus-based decision-making and adherence to ASEAN centrality will reinforce the significance of ASEAN as an important and influential regional bloc.
Within our ASEAN psyche, we must imbed the values of rules-based order, peaceful coexistence, respect for fundamental human rights and international law, and faithful adherence to our international commitments.
Viet Nam’s growing prestige and stature in the international community, its decades of experience of war and oppression, the non-negotiable commitment of the Vietnamese people to independence and freedom, and the country’s economic significance in the global world order provides Viet Nam an unprecedented opportunity to make impactful contributions to ASEAN’s collective effort to maintain peace, stability, and adherence to international law.
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| Ambassador of Philippines to Viet Nam Meynardo Los Banos Montealegre and delegates cut the ribbon to open the Philippine Food Week in June 2025. (Photo: Anh Kim) |
Looking forward ASEAN Community 2045
The ASEAN Community Vision (ACV) 2045 aims to transform ASEAN as a resilient, innovative dynamic and people-centred Community by 2045, with ASEAN as the epicentre of growth in the Indo-Pacific region and critical participant in world order.
It builds upon the progress of ongoing regional community-building efforts and the achievement of ACV 2025, while taking into account the rapidly evolving global environment by providing a 20-year roadmap on what we want ASEAN to be 20 years from now by ensuring that we prudently allocate our resources and recalibrate existing priority to sustain our desired trajectory for the next two decades.
It is a long-term plan in a rapidly changing world, but I am confident that ACV 2045 is an important document that will serve as guideposts to future leaders and decision makers of what we collectively want the region to be and not forget that we are now striving for a more people-centered, resilient, and inclusive development.
Both the Philippines and ASEAN share a common desire for peaceful co-existence, a stable and secure region. Through various bilateral mechanisms between our two countries, we have managed to contribute and build upon these goals and reinforce the benefit of harmonious partnership benefiting the ASEAN region in general.
The Philippines will be at the help of ASEAN when we begin the implementation of ACV 2045 and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has committed to use the ACV 20245 as a vehicle to realise an ASEAN that is secure, peaceful, and stable, governed by the rule of law, and both prosperous and resilient.
As the Philippines’ sole strategic partner in ASEAN, Viet Nam’s support to the Philippines’ chairmanship 2026 with respect to the ASEAN bloc and our ASEAN Dialogue Partners will be important in helping the Philippines realize its commitment to ASEAN.
