Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s attendance at the upcoming ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting in Jakarta aims to affirm Viet Nam’s priority to consolidate solidarity and mutual support with ASEAN member States, thus contributing to elevating the bloc’s centrality and position in settling emerging challenges. 

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Photo: VGP

At the invitation of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah – the current ASEAN Chair, PM Pham will lead a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting which will be held digitally at the ASEAN Secretariat headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia from April 23-24. 

This is Pham’s first foreign trip since he took office as the Vietnamese Prime Minister since April 5, 2021. 

His participation at the meeting also indicates Viet Nam’s commitments to make proactive contributions to address shared issues face by the region and the world, particularly as the country is current UNSC Chair in April.

Last year, under the Chairmanship of Viet Nam, ASEAN showed how it was resilient and proactive in adapting to the changing world as evidenced by switching in-person meetings to virtual ones.

The bloc was quick to launch the ASEAN Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies (RRMS) for Public Health Emergencies, adopt the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF) and its Implementation Plan, and establish the ASEAN Center for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED).

Building on last year’s progresses, Viet Nam is working with ASEAN member States to further promote the region’s priorities.

Based on the Ha Noi Declaration on the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 adopted at the 37th ASEAN Summit in November 2020, the member countries have basically agreed on the draft Terms of Reference (TOR) of the senior task force building a post-2025 vision for ASEAN Community and a roadmap for the work. 

As Chair of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Task Force, Viet Nam sent to other member countries a draft organization procedure of an ASEAN dialogue on narrowing development gaps between sub-regions for comprehensive recovery and sustainable development. Its proposal has been welcomed by ASEAN members.

Meanwhile, the ACRF has so far been actively implemented in the region. As of March, 22 out of its 184 initiatives had been completed, while 82 others were under implementation. The COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund has so far obtained US$16.5 million worth of donations from 14 nations./.