ASEAN a key pillar in Vietnam’s foreign policy

Vietnam officially joined ASEAN on July 28, 1995, on the occasion of the 28th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Brunei, becoming the seventh member of the bloc. Over the past 30 years, Vietnam-ASEAN relations have undergone four phases. The first phase focused on building trust. The second phase involved catching up with regional integration. The third phase was about adapting to the ASEAN way. The current phase is about jointly building the future, striving towards sustainable and substantive development goals.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Multilateral Trade Policy Department, Vietnam has played and continues to play a crucial role in ASEAN’s initiatives and cooperation mechanisms, particularly in the fields of security, economic development, culture, and sustainable development.

Vietnam has held the ASEAN Chairmanship three times, in 1998, 2010, and 2020, leaving a strong mark in promoting intra-bloc solidarity and enhancing ASEAN’s international standing.

Vietnam has actively participated in the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community, fostering intra-bloc trade and expanding cooperation with external partners. Important agreements, such as the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement prove Vietnam’s strong commitment to regional economic integration.

Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam visits ASEAN Secretariat at its headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia on March 10

ASEAN the fourth largest export market of Vietnam

Vietnam-ASEAN trade has consistently yielded positive results. In the first 11 months of 2024, the total trade value between Vietnam and ASEAN reached US$76.3 billion, up 13.9 percent year-on-year. Of this, Vietnam’s exports to ASEAN amounted to US$33.8 billion, while imports stood at US$42.4 billion.

Bilateral trade value grew 18 times from 1995, when Vietnam joined ASEAN, to the end of 2024. ASEAN has become Vietnam’s fourth-largest export market and third-largest import partner.

ASEAN countries invested US$9.52 billion in Vietnam in the first 11 months of 2024, up 51.1 percent year-on-year. Singapore led ASEAN in investment capital in Vietnam, with a total of US$9.13 billion, followed by Thailand with US$178.52 million and Malaysia with US$159.98 million.

On March 10, during the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Vietnam’s accession to ASEAN in Jakarta, Indonesia, Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam outlined several key directions to help ASEAN develop on a sustainable basis and strengthen its central role in the regional structure.

Building on the achievements of the past 60 years, ASEAN needs breakthrough thinking and sharp strategies to accelerate regional integration and cooperation. The Vietnamese Party General Secretary emphasized the importance of strengthening intra-bloc solidarity and strategic autonomy, enhancing economic resilience through innovative development solutions, promoting ASEAN’s identity, improving the effectiveness of behavioral norms, and boosting the efficiency of the ASEAN Secretariat and its specialized agencies.

ASEAN an inseparable part of Vietnam’s development and integration strategy

Party General Secretary To Lam affirmed that ASEAN is a key pillar in Vietnam’s foreign policy and an inseparable part of its development and integration strategy.

With ASEAN as a starting point, Vietnam has deepened its international integration and now maintains diplomatic relations with 194 countries, including comprehensive, strategic, and comprehensive strategic partnerships with 35 nations, covering all ASEAN member states and ASEAN’s key partners.

Vietnam is also a member of over 70 regional and international forums/organizations and has established a network of free trade agreements (FTAs) with more than 60 countries and economies. This has positioned Vietnam among the world’s 40 largest economies and the top 20 economies in terms of foreign investment attraction and trade size.

Sharing Vietnam’s foreign policy direction in the new era, the Party General Secretary reaffirmed Vietnam’s readiness to play an even more active and positive role in global politics, the world economy, and human civilization.

Recognizing ASEAN as the most direct and crucial multilateral cooperation mechanism, Vietnam will uphold its spirit of responsibility and make proactive contribution to shared efforts. This will be guided by innovation in thinking, modernization in approach, flexibility in implementation, efficiency in execution, and determination in action.

Also in Jakarta, Indonesia, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, along with ambassadors and heads of delegations from several member states and partners, highly appreciated Vietnam’s proactive and dynamic role in ASEAN over the past 30 years. They acknowledged Vietnam’s efforts in promoting intra-regional economic and trade cooperation, fostering innovative initiatives, addressing global challenges, and contributing to maintaining regional peace and stability./.