The Vietnamese top diplomat made the statement at the ceremony to mark the 20 anniversary of Viet Nam’s participation in ASEAN and 48th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN, held in Ha Noi on July 28.

He said that this year, ASEAN is proud to be the first community to be established in Asia. This is an event of special significance to the region as the whole and to each member State in particular, reflecting the maturity and synergy in the region, based on the three pillars, namely political-security community, economic community and social-cultural community. The ASEAN Community will be able to realize the dream of a politically cohesive, economically integrated, socially responsible and rule-based and people-centered community with expanded external relations.

48 years ago, few people could imagine that ASEAN could achieve so many successes as it is today. ASEAN has gradually turned Southeast Asia from the region divided by confrontation and suspicion into a sport-light of friendship, solidarity and mutual trust, striving for the common goal of peace, cooperation, and development.

Deputy PM, FM Minh noted that confidence in the power of solidarity has helped ASEAN to overcome historical barriers and differences to live in harmony in the common home of ASEAN and share the common destiny.

For almost half a decade, despite the twists and turns of history, ASEAN has always proved its strong vitality. ASEAN has become an important factor, contributing to the maintenance of peace and stability and the promotion of cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific region, said Deputy PM, FM Minh.
He went on to say that Vietnamese people have a saying that one single tree does not make a forest, three trees together can form a mountain. The strength of ASEAN lies in the solidarity of a large family of ten nations sharing common destiny and knowing how to maintain unity and diversity. Standing alone, each ASEAN member state is only a medium or small country, standing united, ASEAN is the community of more than 600 million people with the world’s 7th largest GDP, and 3rd largest labor force.

Therefore, it is essential to develop ASEAN post 2015 vision to set forth directions for future development and to move towards an increasingly integrated and stronger ASEAN with the more important role in the region. This requires the entire Association and every single member State to do their best to seize the opportunity, address challenges and work hand in hand to march in the same direction.

ASEAN also needs to uphold its active role in maintaining a region of peace, stability, sustainability, and centrality in the evolving regional architecture, keep pioneering in promoting trust building, share common norms and conducts, prevent conflicts, peacefully resolve disputes, uphold international law, strengthen and enhance the values of existing instruments and mechanisms for political and security cooperation in the region.

Over the past 20 years, ASEAN has always been a top priority in Viet Nam’s foreign policy and international integration process. As an active member of ASEAN, Viet Nam has contributed to building a highly integrated and united ASEAN with the central role in the evolving regional architecture.

Under the common roof of the ASEAN family, Viet Nam always bear in mind that for all member States, including Viet Nam to be strong, ASEAN must be strong and united with that in the new develop stage of ASEAN. Deputy PM, FM Minh affirmed that Viet Nam is determined to focus resources, overcome difficulties and challenges to join ASEAN member States to build the ASEAN Community into an ever stronger and more united community, expanding its cooperation with partners for an Asia Pacific region of peace, stability and prosperity.

He also took the occasion to reiterate that the Government and people of Viet Nam will continue to make significant contributions to the goal of ASEAN for practical benefits of its people through generations now and in the future. I want to thank ASEAN brothers and partners for their effective support extended to Viet Nam through the past 20 years of cooperation./.