30 years of Vietnam joining ASEAN: The journey from participation to creation

July 28, 1995 marked an important milestone in Vietnam's regional and international integration process when it officially became the 7th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). On this occasion, Ambassador, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to ASEAN Ton Thi Ngoc Huong gave an interview to VNA reporters in Indonesia.

Ambassador Ton Thi Ngoc Huong, Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to ASEAN, gives an interview to a VNA reporter in Indonesia. Photo: Dao Trang/VNA reporter in Indonesia

Could you please assess Vietnam's outstanding contributions to ASEAN over the past 30 years?

The 30-year journey of joining ASEAN marks Vietnam's efforts in deep integration and responsible contribution to a united, strong and self-reliant ASEAN. Gradually learning, adapting and participating with a proactive, positive and responsible attitude, Vietnam has risen up together with other member countries to contribute to the direction of ASEAN's development path and shape ASEAN's cooperation processes.

Vietnam not only listens, but also connects; not only accompanies, but also contributes to harmonizing differences, multiplying similarities among member countries and between ASEAN and its partners, thereby contributing to maintaining solidarity, unity, and consolidating ASEAN's central role in a volatile world . With Vietnam's active efforts, the ASEAN-10 idea of gathering all member countries in Southeast Asia was completed in 1999 (Laos and Myanmar joined in 1998 and Cambodia in 1999). From here, ASEAN gained a new position, countries put aside barriers, joined hands to cooperate, expanded relations with the outside, making ASEAN a nucleus in the dialogue and cooperation processes in the region.

Vietnam has successfully fulfilled its rotating obligations in ASEAN. As the host country of the 6th ASEAN Summit (1998), just 3 years after joining, we, together with other member countries, steered ASEAN firmly through the challenges of the 1997 economic and financial crisis, through the Hanoi Action Plan, maintaining the momentum of regional cooperation and connectivity, and realizing the ASEAN Vision 2020.

As Chair of the 34th ASEAN Standing Committee (July 2000 - July 2001), Vietnam promoted concrete and practical measures to implement the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI), through the Hanoi Declaration on Narrowing the Development Gap. The 2010 ASEAN Chairmanship marked an important step forward for ASEAN in turning the ASEAN Community vision into action, deciding to expand the membership of the East Asia Summit (EAS) and forming the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+) mechanism, consolidating and strengthening the regional structure with ASEAN at the center. During its tenure as ASEAN Chair in 2020, Vietnam has quickly and flexibly promoted ASEAN's effective approach to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, proposing many important initiatives such as: ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund, ASEAN Emergency Medical Supplies Reserve, ASEAN Strategic Framework for Emergencies, ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework and Implementation Plan, ASEAN Declaration on the ASEAN Travel Corridor Arrangement Framework, ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (AC-PHEED)...

Vietnam also successfully assumed the role of coordinator of ASEAN-China relations (2009-2012), ASEAN-EU (2012-2015), ASEAN-India (2015-2018), ASEAN-Japan (2018-2021), ASEAN-Korea (2021-2024) and we are currently coordinating two partners, ASEAN-UK and ASEAN-New Zealand (2024-2027).

Joining hands to shape ASEAN's development path, Vietnam has made an important contribution to defining goals and forming major decisions of ASEAN, including important documents such as: ASEAN Vision 2020, ASEAN Charter, ASEAN Community Vision 2025, 2045 and master plans on connectivity and narrowing the development gap in ASEAN.

In the context of complex changes in the world and the region, Vietnam has always actively and proactively participated in contributing to the process of building principles, shaping the "rules of the game" of the region, together with ASEAN to ensure peace, security, stability, promote dialogue and cooperation processes, consolidate mechanisms and forums led by ASEAN, thereby strengthening the environment of peace, security, stability, facilitating the development goals of countries, enhancing equal and mutually beneficial cooperation frameworks based on the United Nations Charter, the ASEAN Charter and the principles of international law.

Dear Ambassador, looking to the future, how will Vietnam continue to promote its role and contribute to ASEAN and what opportunities are there to promote economic integration and national development?

Joining ASEAN has opened up many opportunities for Vietnam, from strengthening the peaceful and stable regional environment, opening up space for economic cooperation, expanding the market and integrating deeply into the world, enhancing the country's role and position. Currently, ASEAN is the 4th largest export partner and the 3rd largest import partner of Vietnam. Trade turnover between Vietnam and ASEAN has increased nearly 25 times, from 3.26 billion USD in 1995 to 83.6 billion USD in 2024. The network of +1 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with partners to regional agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) helps Vietnam access markets, increase exports, and attract investment. Vietnamese people directly benefit from regional cooperation programs on the pillars of the ASEAN Community, from transnational crime prevention, cooperation, sea, sustainable development, environment, climate change response, disaster mitigation, to education, labor, startups, healthcare, green transformation, digital transformation, smart agriculture...

ASEAN is also an important and practical multilateral environment, helping to improve the international integration capacity of the staff working in foreign affairs of Vietnam. Through the ASEAN cooperation frameworks and the rotating tasks that Vietnam undertakes in ASEAN, we have the conditions to expand, diversify and deepen relations with partners, including many major powers and centers with important roles and positions in the world.

Looking to the future with ASEAN, at ASEAN's development goals until 2045, in line with Vietnam's aspirations for national development and growth at the 100th anniversary of its founding, we will continue to think proactively, act responsibly, promote our leading role, and at the same time harmoniously integrate national interests with the common interests of the ASEAN Community, to create a synergistic strength, and develop dynamically and sustainably with ASEAN member countries. We need to effectively take advantage of opportunities from ASEAN's dynamic economic growth momentum, expected to become the world's 4th largest economic center by 2030; and the open economic space that ASEAN creates, through intra-bloc trade and investment agreements and FTAs with partners, including RCEP with a total GDP of member countries of over 26,000 billion USD, equivalent to 30% of global GDP, and a population size accounting for about 30% of the world's population. In addition, it is necessary to exploit opportunities from cooperation trends in green transformation, digital transformation, technology development, innovation, sustainable infrastructure development, establishing Vietnam's position in the region's sustainable supply chain, thereby promoting the international integration process, supporting the realization of the country's important development goals.

Ambassador, please share about Vietnam's role in ASEAN through the rotating tasks that Vietnam is undertaking, at the time of ASEAN's important transition phase, towards a new Vision for the Community in 2045?

ASEAN is entering a new phase of development: implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, for a resilient, creative, dynamic and people-centered ASEAN. Building on 30 years of participation and contribution to ASEAN, Vietnam continues to make efforts to assume important rotating responsibilities within ASEAN with a high sense of responsibility.

Firstly , Vietnam is taking on the role of Chair of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Task Force in the year marking the 25th anniversary of the IAI initiative. This is the time for ASEAN to look back to summarize experiences and lessons after 25 years of implementing IAI and shape the direction for the new period. The IAI Task Force is developing the IAI Work Plan Phase V (2026 - 2030), an integral part of the Community Vision 2045, which is expected to be approved by ASEAN Leaders at the 47th ASEAN Summit in late 2025. Vietnam, as Chair, contributes an important guiding voice to ensure that the development and implementation of the new Plan is closely linked to the important goals of the Community Vision 2045, which is comprehensive, inclusive, feasible and effective, to narrow the development gap between countries, regions and areas, and maintain equitable and sustainable development in all fields.

Second , Vietnam is the coordinator of ASEAN-New Zealand relations (2024-2027). In 2025, the special year marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN-New Zealand relations, Vietnam is closely coordinating with ASEAN member countries and New Zealand to prepare for the Summit to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the partnership, on the occasion of the 47th ASEAN Summit, to adopt the Joint Vision Statement guiding ASEAN-New Zealand cooperation in the new period, towards establishing a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as well as building and approving the Action Plan for the 2026-2030 period to specifically implement the content of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This will be an important and meaningful milestone in the special year marking 5 decades of relations between ASEAN and New Zealand.

Third , in its role as Coordinator of ASEAN-UK relations (2026-2030), Vietnam is working with its British partner to promote the completion of the implementation of the ASEAN-UK Action Plan for the 2022-2026 period, which has achieved a very high implementation rate of 95%. We are also actively concretizing the 2024 ASEAN-UK Foreign Ministers' Statement on Connectivity Cooperation, discussing with the UK the plan to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the establishment of the ASEAN-UK dialogue partnership in 2026, as well as developing and approving the new ASEAN-UK Action Plan for the 2027-2031 period.

Fulfilling the responsibilities of the above three tasks in the context of multilateral cooperation facing many challenges will be Vietnam's practical and meaningful contribution to ASEAN at an important turning point of ASEAN, contributing to promoting regional connectivity, enhancing the central role and image and position of ASEAN.

Thank you very much Ambassador!

Rhododendron (Vietnam News Agency)

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/30-nam-viet-nam-gia-nhap-asean-hanh-trinh-tu-tham-gia-den-kien-tao-20250725091711620.htm