Hanoi (VNA) – The 40th and 41st ASEAN Summitsand related summits has freshly ended, with Vietnam’s attendance andcontributions receiving applause from bloc members and partners.

The Vietnamese delegation led by Prime Minister Pham MinhChinh attended the events with a high sense of responsibility and made substantialcontributions to its overall success and to ASEAN’s cooperation and with itspartners. The nation’s efforts serving common development processes of the blochave earned recognition by ASEAN members.

Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Meynardo Los BanosMontealegre said Vietnam has been very actively involved in the ASEAN region andmade political and economic progress since it joined the association 27 yearsago.

“It is a reliable contributor in the maintenance of peaceand stability in the ASEAN region through its adherence to and promotion ofinternational law and multilateralism, and for integrating with fellow ASEANstates and other Asia Pacific countries,” said the diplomat.

According to him, Vietnam has hostedseveral ASEAN meetings and summits and is about to host more ASEAN-relatedministerial meetings. It has also successfully fulfilled its role as ASEANChair in 2010 and in 2020 and as coordinator between the bloc and key partnercountries.

“Domestically, I am also impressed with the vibrant anddedicated programmes and projects implemented by many Vietnamese provinces thatencourage ASEAN cohesiveness and awareness among its people,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Nikorndej Balankurastated that Vietnam has always made meaningful contributions to building anequal, strong, and inclusive ASEAN Community for harmony, peace, and prosperityin the region.

He said: “During Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020, underthe theme of ‘Cohesive and Responsive’, Vietnam emphasised the importance ofASEAN solidarity and centrality, strong and constructive engagement with ASEANpartners, and strengthening connectivity, whether in terms of economicintegration through the signing of the Regional Comprehensive EconomicPartnership (RCEP) or building and enhancing ASEAN mechanisms to be moreproactive, especially when facing regional and global challenges.

These are stances that Vietnam still places at the forefrontof its vision for ASEAN, which points to Vietnam’s consistency and dedicationtoward a prosperous ASEAN Community for our region”.

Sharing the same view, Lao Ambassador to Vietnam SengphetHoungboungnuang said since joining ASEAN, both Laos and Vietnam havesignificantly contributed to building the bloc into a region with high,constant economic growth and a peaceful society.

According to the ambassador, the countries have supportedeach other in socio-economic development and investment promotion in respectivecountries, contributing to developing the bloc in a sustainable and stablemanner.

The two countries have also played a proactive role in thedrafting of many important documents in ASEAN, and especially in the buildingof the ASEAN Community with the three pillars of the Political-SecurityCommunity, the Economic Community and the Socio-Cultural Community.

Over the past time, apart from cooperation within theframework of ASEAN, the two countries have coordinated and cooperated closelyin the ASEAN Sub-region, and participated in Mekong cooperation frameworks suchas the Greater Mekong Sub-region and the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong EconomicCooperation Strategy (ACMECS), the ambassador said.

He noted that those important mechanisms have contributed toreducing poverty, raising people’s living standards, spurring economic growth,and promoting trade and investment ties as well as people-to-people exchangesbetween countries in the ASEAN region and the world at large./.