July 28, 1995 is an important milestone marking a very important step forward for Vietnam on the path to regional and international integration, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh affirmed in today’s article.

`In the initial task of bringing the country out of the siege and isolation, ASEAN is considered Vietnam’s first breakthrough in integration. In the later stages, Vietnam’s integration and participation in ASEAN

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh.

Vietnam has gradually affirmed that it is an inseparable part of ASEAN and the Southeast Asia region, linking the country’s development with ASEAN and wishing to shoulder the common work of ASEAN.

For ASEAN, admitting Vietnam as the 7th member helps accelerate the process of expanding the Association to all 10 countries in the region, thereby strengthening peace and stability in a region of special importance.

`When Vietnam joined ASEAN, the region had just come out of the Cold War. ASEAN’s position, role and economic scale were still modest. But the past 25 years have witnessed a strong change in the Association.

In 2019, ASEAN was the common home of about 650 million people, with a gross domestic product (GDP) reaching more than 3,200 billion USD and trade turnover reaching 2,800 billion USD.

Not only cohesive and linked within the bloc, ASEAN also actively expands relations with external partners, becoming an important partner of major countries in and outside the region.

ASEAN’s central role has been affirmed through promoting the establishment and leading of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), East Asia Summit (EAS), Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and

ASEAN has expressed its steadfast stance in maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea and the region, such as the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and negotiations on the Code of Conduct.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh affirmed that joining ASEAN has brought Vietnam many important and practical benefits.

`The increasing role in ASEAN helps us enlist international support to protect security and development interests, including the East Sea issue,` he said.

After joining ASEAN, Vietnam participated in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), Asia-Europe Cooperation Forum (ASEM), World Trade Organization (WTO), and other agreements.

Success in participating in ASEAN has also helped Vietnam carry out many important multilateral foreign affairs tasks such as being a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, hosting the APEC Summit, and actively participating in building

Over the past 7 months, Vietnam’s efforts as ASEAN Chairman have demonstrated the true spirit of cohesion and proactive adaptation as this year’s common theme.

`The way ASEAN overcame the unexpected and unprecedented turbulence caused by the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrates an ASEAN that is cohesive and proactive in adapting, steadfast and undaunted in the face of adversity`, Deputy Prime Minister