The symposium lays solid foundation to build ASEAN's theme and priorities in 2020

TIN LIÊN QUAN
	Symposium seeks orientations for ASEAN future path
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The symposium has the opportunity to welcome the presence of former DPM Vu Khoan; Ambassador Nguyen Nguyet Nga, Vice Chair of the Viet Nam National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation; Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN for Political-Security Community; representatives from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, along with Ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions of ASEAN countries and ASEAN partners, the United Nations, as well as many leading experts, researchers and policy makers of the region and Viet Nam.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung. (Photo: Tuan Anh)

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung thinks that 2018 marks the first year of ASEAN’s new chapter after 50 years of establishment and development. Throughout the last 5 decades, ASEAN has achieved undeniable successes. Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific is a region having undergone the turmoils of divisions and conflicts, with such great benefits of a peaceful and stable environment for development, and of a space for open cooperation where converge most major powers within and beyond the region.

In the context of the international environment and ASEAN’s surroundings are witnessing drastic and unpredictable changes, Deputy FM Nguyen Quoc Dung says that the upcoming 50 years for ASEAN would not be all smooth sailing. ASEAN's intra-bloc cohesion, current institutional framework and what ASEAN need to do to bring about the most practical benefits to nearly 630 million people in the region are the new challenges for ASEAN. Mr. Nguyen Quoc Dung strongly believes that the symposium will give a better view of ASEAN's future journey, as well as addressing ASEAN’s urgent issues, thereby identifying our upcoming directions.

Delegates at the symposium. (Photo: Tuan Anh)

In terms of the symposium’s significance, the Deputy FM thinks the symposium is a substantive step of preparation for Viet Nam’s upcoming ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020 – the year marking Viet Nam’s 25th anniversary of ASEAN membership – and make ready to identify our foreign policy vision for the new period in preparation for the 13th National Party Congress. Therefore, the symposium will lay a solid foundation to build ASEAN’s theme and priorities in 2020.

Analyzing the effectiveness of ASEAN meetings, Dr. Andrew Elek, Visiting Research Fellow of the Crawford School of Economics and Government, Australian National University denies the viewpoint that more than 1000 meetings per year between ASEAN members are not effective. In the context of unpredictable changes in the region, meetings and regular exchanges among members will create favorable conditions to share their viewpoints, enhance mutual trust and help handle crisis.

In the framework of “Free and Open Indo – Pacific strategy”, the United States recently promotes cooperation with ASEAN members. However, this may lead to the association’s split and forces manipulation between the U.S and China in the region. Speaking of this point, Associate Professor Nguyen Vu Tung, President of Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam believes that ASEAN should maintain its centrality so as to take the opportunities to cooperate with the U.S, yet balance the China – US relations.

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