An overview of the conference. (Photo: VNA)

In his opening remarks, Trieu Minh Long, Director of the MIC’s Department of International Cooperation, said that ASEAN was established on August 8, 1967, marking the first milestone in the process of formation and development of a regional organisation considered to be very effective and growing strongly.

The conference was chaired by the MIC, in collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Industry and Trade, Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, to further improve understanding on, update the situation, development orientations, and opportunities from the ASEAN integration process to provide necessary information for people, organisations and businesses, he said.

Pham Quynh Mai, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Multilateral Trade Policy Department, stated that Vietnam joined ASEAN on July 28, 1995. Over the past 27 years, Vietnam has proactively and actively participated in ASEAN economic integration and, together with other member countries, built an important foundation for the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community. To date, the ASEAN Free Trade Area is one of the cooperation frameworks that Vietnam has the strongest commitment to opening up the goods market.

According to Mai, Vietnam's cooperation orientation with the region in the coming time is to continue promoting ASEAN economic cooperation, especially in restructuring economies, adapting to the general post-pandemic recovery steps, and continue to work with other ASEAN countries to support an open, rules-based, inclusive and mutually beneficial multilateral trading system, especially in trade and investment in the region.

In this process, Vietnam will actively support and participate responsibly in joint initiatives to facilitate trade, services and investment, strengthen the development of ASEAN capital markets, and consolidate regional supply chains and production network.

Looking back at the country's 27-year international economic integration process, it can be affirmed that joining ASEAN was a wise, timely and sound decision of the Party and State, bringing many benefits to the country and people, Mai stressed.

Therefore, it is necessary to maintain effective coordination and cooperation among ministries, sectors, localities and the business community to successfully implement the orientation of cooperation with ASEAN in the coming time, she added.

At the conference, delegates heard the ASEAN Communication Strategy and implementation experience from the ASEAN Secretariat delivered by Tan Ghee Tiong, Head of the Culture and Information Division under the Sustainable Development Directorate of ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Department at the ASEAN Secretariat.