Vietnam joins ASEAN: The mark of three decades of companionship

The journey of joining ASEAN over the past 30 years has provided valuable experience and knowledge for Vietnam to be creative in ideas and breakthrough in actions, moving forward with ASEAN into the new era.

Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam (second from right), ASEAN Secretary General, and ASEAN Foreign Ministers at the meeting to admit Vietnam into ASEAN in Brunei, July 28, 1995. (Source: VNA)

Direct engagement, top priority

On July 28, 1995, Vietnam officially became the seventh member of ASEAN on the occasion of the 28th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Brunei. The past 30 years have confirmed that the policy of joining ASEAN is a correct, timely decision of great historical and strategic significance of the Party and State of Vietnam.

Joining ASEAN helped Vietnam break the economic siege and political isolation at that time; resolve many existing problems in relations with some countries in the region; end division and confrontation and build a new quality of relationship among Southeast Asian countries.

In his policy speech at the 30th anniversary of Vietnam's accession to ASEAN while visiting the ASEAN Secretariat (March 10), General Secretary To Lam emphasized: "Since the beginning of opening up and integrating, we have always identified ASEAN as a multilateral cooperation mechanism directly and importantly related to Vietnam." Since joining ASEAN in 1995, "Vietnam has given top priority to consolidating and enhancing relations with neighboring and regional countries, making every effort to contribute to building a united, strong and self-reliant ASEAN Community, thereby affirming its international position as a member of the ASEAN family."

This is clearly demonstrated through many policies associated with practice. Immediately after Vietnam joined ASEAN, the Prime Minister issued many directives, including the establishment of the National Committee on ASEAN and the Directive on implementing activities to participate in regional cooperation.

When the ASEAN Charter came into effect (December 2008), the Prime Minister continued to issue Decision No. 142/QD-TTg dated January 31, 2009 on the Working and Coordination Regulations between agencies participating in ASEAN cooperation, in order to improve the effectiveness of coordination and standardize the activities of ministries and branches according to the provisions of the Charter.

After the ASEAN Community was officially formed on December 31, 2015, the Prime Minister approved the Project on directions and measures for Vietnam to participate in ASEAN until 2025, clearly defining goals, orientations and solutions to improve the effectiveness of cooperation within the framework of the Association.

To promote the achieved results, improve the effectiveness of participating in ASEAN, and meet the requirements of the new situation, the Politburo issued Conclusion No. 59-KL/TW dated August 8, 2023 on Vietnam's orientation for participating in ASEAN until 2030, stating: "ASEAN is a multilateral cooperation mechanism directly linked and of primary importance to Vietnam.

Joining ASEAN aims to contribute to maintaining a peaceful and stable environment; making the best use of opportunities and benefits from ASEAN cooperation and ASEAN's network of partners, further enhancing Vietnam's international prestige, role and strategic position in relations with partners, especially major countries."

Promote consensus, maintain unity

During three decades of accompanying ASEAN, Vietnam has always maintained the spirit of "proactiveness, positivity and responsibility", making practical contributions to the growth and development of the Association.

At the heart of these contributions is Vietnam's persistent efforts to strengthen solidarity and unity within the bloc - a key factor creating ASEAN's vitality, position and adaptability to all changes.

At the second ASEAN Future Forum in February 2025, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the importance of solidarity using a familiar image from the Vietnamese proverb: “One tree alone cannot make a forest, three trees together can make a high mountain”. According to the Prime Minister, solidarity and unity are the core tasks to build an independent, self-reliant and steadfast ASEAN in the process of integration and development.

Vietnam has consistently implemented this policy with both consistent messages and concrete actions, throughout each stage, mechanism and initiative. As the ASEAN Chair three times (1998, 2010 and 2020), Vietnam has left a clear mark, with important contributions to many key documents and agreements such as the ASEAN Vision 2020, the ASEAN Charter, the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, and the master plans and roadmap for building the Community.

Vietnam continues to make an important mark with its humanistic approach of “taking people as the center, goal and driving force” in the process of building the Community. The ASEAN Community Vision 2045, adopted at the 46th ASEAN Summit, has officially made the overarching orientation initiated by Vietnam the core spirit of the Community.

Faced with increasingly complex and unpredictable developments, Vietnam has consistently worked with ASEAN countries to build consensus and consolidate ASEAN's principled stance on international and regional issues. From the East Sea, Myanmar, the Korean Peninsula to the Middle East situation or the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Vietnam has made an important contribution to promoting a common voice, harmonious and balanced behavior of ASEAN with the consistent goal of peace, stability and security for the region and the world.

2025 marks the 30th anniversary of Vietnam joining ASEAN (July 28, 1995 - July 28, 2025). (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

Creating a cooperative space, ASEAN is the center

During the 46th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia in May, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that ASEAN’s success will depend on its ability to ensure an independent and autonomous strategic space in implementing regional policies. ASEAN needs to reaffirm its centrality not just in name but in action.

With a sense of responsibility and initiative, since joining ASEAN, Vietnam has had many initiatives and important contributions to upholding the Association's goals and basic principles, contributing to maintaining ASEAN's leading role in peace and development in the region.

Vietnam has also left a clear mark in promoting and expanding relations between ASEAN and its partners. When assuming the role of ASEAN Chair in 2010, Vietnam promoted the expansion of the East Asia Summit (EAS) to include Russia and the United States. At Vietnam's initiative, the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+) was formed, with members being ASEAN countries and partners. Vietnam successfully assumed the role of coordinator of relations between ASEAN and China (2009-2012), ASEAN and the EU (2012-2015), ASEAN and India (2015-2018) and ASEAN and Japan (2018-2021). In 2021, it organized the ASEAN High-Level Forum on Sub-regional Cooperation for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development. Currently, Vietnam is taking on the role of coordinator of ASEAN-New Zealand relations (2024-2027) and ASEAN-UK relations (2022-2025).

In recent times, with the consistent principle of ensuring balance, harmony and mutual benefit, Vietnam and ASEAN countries have successfully promoted the process of establishing and upgrading relations between ASEAN and many important partners, from establishing a Dialogue Partnership with the UK to upgrading relations with Australia, India, China, the United States, Japan, Canada and South Korea. Recently, at the ASEAN - Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the ASEAN - GC - China Summit (Malaysia, May 27), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested many breakthrough ideas to exploit the potential of the new inter-regional strategic cooperation space.

Notably, implementing the initiative of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, in the past two years, Vietnam has successfully organized the ASEAN Future Forum, creating a deep impression of an open, inclusive dialogue space, connecting policy makers, scholars, experts, and researchers inside and outside the region, demonstrating Vietnam's sincere efforts in creating a Forum truly dedicated to ASEAN and led by ASEAN.

Moving forward into the new era

Sharing with TG&VN recently, Thailand's leading ASEAN researcher, Mr. Kavi Chongkittavorn, commented that entering the fourth decade in ASEAN, Vietnam's outstanding efforts show no signs of slowing down, "you are nurturing a clear aspiration in jointly orienting the regional agenda".

As General Secretary To Lam emphasized in his speech at the ASEAN Secretariat: “Facing a new historical starting point, Vietnam and ASEAN are moving towards ambitious goals. In the next development journey with new expectations for ASEAN, Vietnam is more aware of its responsibility to proactively participate and contribute more to common work, with the motto of creativity in thinking, innovation in approach, flexibility in implementation, efficiency in approach and determination in action”.

Resolution 59-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2025 of the Politburo on “international integration in the new situation” has positioned international integration as an important driving force to bring the country into a new era, an era of striving for prosperity and strength. Therefore, joining ASEAN also faces new requirements, being more proactive, responsible, creative, and ready to contribute more to the cause of building a united and strong ASEAN Community.

With determination and experience accumulated over the past three decades, Vietnam continues to join hands with ASEAN countries to realize ASEAN's historic mission and spread the Association's success stories.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/viet-nam-gia-nhap-asean-dau-an-ba-thap-ky-song-hanh-322143.html