(VOVworld) - The ASEAN flag and the flags of its member countries have been hoisted in their capital cities and by ASEAN representatives around the world to celebrate the bloc’s 45th anniversary on August 8. The flag symbolizes a cooperative and powerful ASEAN with an ever-stronger position in the international arena. Reporter Anh Huyen discusses the bloc’s efforts to build a united and prosperous community.
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| ASEAN flag hoisting ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
From a group of 5 initial members, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has grown into a unified bloc of 10 regional members. During the group’s 45 years of development, its outstanding achievement has been the alliance of countries in different stages of development and with different political institutions to form an integrated power striving for mutual prosperity.
With a handshake, the 10 member countries began a friendly, reliable and united relationship aimed at the future. The bloc has promoted a commitment to non-interference in others’ internal affairs, decision-making by consensus, and pursuit of the bloc’s common interests, which has made Southeast Asia arguably the most peaceful, open, friendly and dynamic region in the world. Insisting on its stance of solving disagreements through negotiation and reconciliation, Southeast Asia has avoided armed conflict and violence.
In addition to promoting internal coherence through dialogues and agreements, ASEAN has enhanced cooperation via special mechanisms such as ASEAN + 1 (with China), ASEAN + 3 (with China, Japan, and South Korea), the ASEAN Regional Forum, and the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ meeting Plus, to build trust and effectively respond to peace and security threats. Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Vinh says: “Peace, security, stability, and cooperation for development are the ultimate goals of ASEAN. The bloc has been active in promoting its code of conduct and requiring its partners to respect it. The code includes the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (DOC), and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. ASEAN has taken the lead in multilateral forums on politics and security, building trust, and resolving disagreements through peaceful means based on international law.
Along with guidelines for implementing the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, ASEAN has recently endorsed the 6-point Principles of the East Sea to ease tension between countries with overlapping interests in this important international marine transport route. The bloc is expected to sign the Code of Conduct in the East Sea to bolster peace, sovereignty, and marine security in the region.
ASEAN’s coherence is seen in its economic cooperation and effort to narrow the development gap among countries toward a prosperous and strong community. Le Cong Phung, Chairman of the Vietnam – ASEAN Friendship Association, will be the ASEAN Secretary General in the next tenure. Phung elaborates: “ASEAN coherence is not only in economics and politics, but also in culture and lifestyle. It’s essential to enhance understanding among ASEAN people and reach agreement in building the ASEAN community in politics, economics, culture and daily life. Only by thoroughly understanding each other can we join hands to build ASEAN into a powerful bloc with a prominent voice regionally and globally.”
For 45 years, ASEAN has been a successful organization of developing countries and a model of equality among countries. The bloc has become an important political, security, and economic partner and a significant crossroads on the world political map.