(VOVWORLD) - Malaysia’s New Straits Times webpage on Tuesday said Vietnam as ASEAN Chair has built regional comprehensive economic recovery plan amid the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
 The dialogue session of ASEAN Leaders with ASEAN Business Advisory Council in the framework of the 36th ASEAN Summit. (Photo: Thong Nhat / VNA) |
The paper underlined Vietnam’s major contributions to ASEAN since the country joined the bloc 25 years ago, saying Vietnam successfully organized the 6th ASEAN Summit in 1998, just three years after becoming a bloc member. The 'Hanoi Action Programme' at the summit helped maintain cooperation and strengthen ASEAN's position during the challenging times of the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis.
Vietnam also achieved successes as the ASEAN Standing Committee chairman in 2001 and as ASEAN president in 2010. Both positions helped promote the enforcement culture and towards a great leap forward in establishing an ASEAN Community by 2015, thus, enhancing the bloc's international role and position , according to the New Straits Times.
The paper said one of Vietnam's achievements is the expansion of ASEAN's cooperation with the East Asia high-level cooperation mechanism with the participation of Russia and the US, the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting and for ASEAN to be represented at the G20 Summit.
Other achievements are the "Vision 2020 and implementation plans", "ASEAN Declaration 2", "ASEAN Charter", "Roadmap for the ASEAN Community Development (2009-2015)", "Initiative for ASEAN Integration" and the "ASEAN Master Plan and Connection," said the New Straits Times.