Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receives ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi at the headquarters of the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo: VGP)

This trip contributes to enhancing ASEAN's central role and position in solving emerging challenges, creating a peaceful and favourable environment for sustainable development, while  affirming that Vietnam made every effort to contribute to building the ASEAN Community, and its commitment, responsibility, and active and proactive contribution to regional and international issues.

Continuing the results achieved in the ASEAN President Year 2020, in 2021, Vietnam and other ASEAN member countries continue to promote regional concerns and priorities, actively contributing to the common regional and international issues.

Accordingly, ASEAN member countries basically agreed on the draft high-level group on building the ASEAN Community Vision after 2025, as well as the roadmap for the building of the ASEAN Community Vision after 2025. The two documents are expected to be adopted at the ASEAN Joint Consultative Meeting in May 2021.

In the process of evaluating the implementation of the ASEAN Charter, countries support accelerating the evaluation of the implementation of the ASEAN Charter, with a goal of completion by 2021. It is expected that the ASEAN Coordinating Council will officially assign the Commission of the Permanent Representative to ASEAN to assess the implementation of the ASEAN Charter at the meeting held in August 2021.

With regard to subregional cooperation and narrowing development gaps, in the role of Chairman of the Task Force on the ASEAN Integration Initiative, Vietnam has submitted to the countries a draft process to organize the ASEAN Dialogue to narrow the development gap among sub-regions for comprehensive recovery and sustainable development. ASEAN countries welcomed Vietnam's proposal.

As part of an initiative to uphold the identity, image and shared values of the ASEAN Community, Vietnam is also completing internal procedures to fly the ASEAN flag next to the Vietnamese flag at the headquarters of Government agencies.

Regarding the joint initiatives to respond to COVID-19, by the end of March 2021, 22 out of 184 initiatives have been completed.

The ASEAN Fund to respond to COVID-19 is currently supported by 14 countries with the amount of USD16.5 million. Countries are discussing using USD10.5 million from this fund to buy vaccines for member countries and ASEAN Secretariat staff.

ASEAN countries choose to host the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED); finalizing the final steps to approve the Center's establishment project details./.

Compiled by BTA