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PM Phuc's ASEAN Day Message: Think Community, Act Community

VGP – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has rolled out a message on the occasion of the 53rd founding anniversary of ASEAN and the 25th anniversary of Viet Nam’s ASEAN membership.

August 08, 2020 7:00 PM GMT+7

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc: Photo: VGP

In his message, the Prime Minister highlighted the tremendous significance of the establishment of ASEAN on August 8, 1967.

After 53 years of establishment and development, true to its historical mission proclaimed in the 1967 Bangkok Declaration, ASEAN has indeed become an organization representing the nations in the region where its members are united in friendship, cooperation, mutual respect and understanding, together striving for peace, progress and prosperity for their people.

From a group of first five members, ASEAN has developed into a Community of 10 countries in the Southeast Asia with a population of 650 million and a combined GDP of over US$3 trillion.

ASEAN has expanded cooperation beyond Southeast Asia, to partners within and outside the region, including world’s major powers, creating impetus for cooperation and dialogue processes for peace, security, stability and development in Asia-Pacific region and the world at large, Phuc affirmed.

Fundamental principles of ASEAN, regionally-recognized norms, and most of all, international law, the spirit of multi-lateral cooperation, regional connectivity and ASEAN centrality need to be continually upheld, the Vietnamese leader emphasized.

Recalling the day Viet Nam's accession to ASEAN, Phuc said that the Vietnamese flag - the yellow star upon red field - hoisted up with the national flags of other ASEAN member countries against the sky in Brunei on July 28, 1995 shall forevermore be remembered as a turning point for both Viet Nam and ASEAN.   

The journey has taken Viet Nam into an intensive and extensive international and regional integration process and it can be said that Viet Nam’s development achievements of over the recent 25 years bear the distinct hallmark of its membership in ASEAN.

At the same time, Viet Nam’s active and responsible participation in ASEAN has also played an important role in the development and growth of the ASEAN Community.

In the “Cohesive and Responsive” spirit, Viet Nam, as the ASEAN Chair 2020, gives high priority to reinforcement of solidarity, unity and effective coordination within ASEAN as well as enhancement of relations between ASEAN and its partners with an aim to build resilience and responsiveness in facing unprecedented challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic and remarkable and profound shifts and competition in the regional and global geo-strategic environment.

Throughout the above process, PM Phuc stressed the need to further uphold the rule of law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

Phuc pledged that Viet Nam will continue working with other ASEAN member countries to continue successful realization of the ASEAN Vision 2025 and the post-2025 ASEAN development orientations, and improve ASEAN’s regional and global profile to contribute to peace, security, and sustainable development  in the region and the world.

ASEAN has always been one of the key pillars of Viet Nam’s foreign policy, reiterated Phuc.

He expressed his belief that ASEAN countries share the common interest of having a united, strong, prosperous, and resilient ASEAN Community with high global position and role and it can only be achieved with the approach of Community-based mindset and Community-based actions (or Think Community, Act Community)./.

By Thuy Dung