Vietnam is working out plans for organizing the 37th ASEAN Summit which is expected to take place in mid-November this year, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chairs the 36th ASEAN Summit held virtually
in June this year due to COVID-19.

In its role as the ASEAN Chair this year, Vietnam is working closely with other ASEAN member countries to actively prepare for this important meeting, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang told reporters at a regular press briefing in Hanoi on October 15.

“We are also preparing organizational options to ensure security, efficiency and practicality of the event,” Hang said.

Shen went on to say that as ASEAN operates on the basis of consensus, details of the summit will be announced after an agreement is reached by ASEAN member countries.

At the recent Joint Consultative Meeting, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung told ASEAN representatives that Vietnam would try its best to successfully host the upcoming 37th ASEAN summit and related meetings in November this year.

Vietnam is ready for all organizational options to meet the practical situation as the COVID-19 pandemic remains evolving in a complex manner in the region, noted Dung, who is also head of Vietnam’s SOM delegation to ASEAN.

According to him, there would be 11 meetings to take place between November 13-15, including the 37th summit and meetings between ASEAN and its partners. Other meetings would include an ASEAN women’s leadership summit, and an ASEAN business investment summit.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired the 36th ASEAN Summit which was held virtually last June due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first time such as a regional leaders’ summit has been held via videoconferencing.