(VOVWORLD) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh headed to Jakarta, Indonesia, for the ASEAN Leaders' Meeting on Friday. This is the first foreign trip of Mr. Chinh as Prime Minister, which affirms Vietnam's priority of solidarity and mutual support with other ASEAN member countries in addressing challenges. By doing so, Vietnam hopes to create a peaceful and favorable environment for the sustainable development of each country and the wider region. The trip also confirms Vietnam's commitment, responsibility, and proactive contribution to shared regional and global issues.
 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (Photo: baoquocte.vn)
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At Saturday’s meeting, ASEAN leaders will exchange views on the Myanmar situation, ASEAN Community building, COVID-19 response, and ASEAN external relations.
ASEAN jointly addresses shared challenges
The ASEAN Leaders' Meeting, the first in-person summit during Brunei’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2021, is being held with ASEAN striving to build a community and fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and non-traditional security problems. High on the agenda will be the ASEAN Community Vision after 2025 and a review of the ASEAN Charter implementation. In the wake of instability in Myanmar, the meeting will be an opportunity for ASEAN to closely coordinate viewpoints, promote its role and use effectively existing cooperation mechanisms to help Myanmar overcome difficulties and soon stabilize the situation, for the interests of the Myanmar people and country, for regional peace, stability, and prosperity, as well as for ASEAN's solidarity and reputation.
Vietnam upholds solidarity in ASEAN
Since joining ASEAN on July 28, 1995, Vietnam has been making practical contributions to the ASEAN community. As Chair of ASEAN last year, Vietnam demonstrated a spirit of cohesion and adaptation by closely coordinating with other members to recover from COVID-19. ASEAN Secretary General Dato Lim Jock Hoi said Vietnam has demonstrated "strong leadership" in spearheading a collective regional response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Vietnam assumes Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2020 (Photo: baoquocte.vn)
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This year Vietnam, together with other ASEAN members, is promoting regional priorities. They have called on Myanmar stakeholders to refrain from actions that escalate tensions and to conduct a dialogue to find satisfactory solutions in line with the Constitution, laws, and aspirations of the Myanmar people, and to make democracy run smoothly. Vietnam applauds ASEAN's efforts to support Myanmar, supports the application of ASEAN methods to Myanmar's situation, and urges the international community to support Myanmar while respecting its independence and sovereignty, and refraining from interference in its internal affairs. Vietnam encourages the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General to Myanmar to coordinate with ASEAN in facilitating dialogue and conciliation in Myanmar.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit reflects Vietnam’s support and close cooperation with Brunei, the Chair of ASEAN for 2021, and other ASEAN members in implementing the group’s priorities. Vietnam’s three main priorities are solidarity and mutual assistance with other ASEAN members; promoting ASEAN's centrality in addressing emerging challenges; and creating an environment of peace favorable for sustainable development in the region. As President of the UN Security Council this month and as a non-permanent member of the Security Council in the 2020-2021 term, Vietnam will continue its efforts to bridge ASEAN and the UN Security Council and elevate ASEAN's global prestige.