Forum fosters sub-regional development in line with ASEAN community building

Hanoi - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended Vietnam-initiated ASEAN high-level forum on sub-regional cooperation for sustainable development and inclusive growth held in both in-person and virtual forms on November 30.

The event was also joined by Lao PM Phankham Viphavanh and Cambodian Deputy Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn.

ASEAN is home to sub-regions with different growth, strengths, difficulties and advantages, Deputy Foreign Minister and Head of ASEAN SOM Vietnam Nguyen Quoc Dung said, pointing out that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has yet to pay full attention to sub-regional development.

As ASEAN firms have not taken the advantage of seeking business opportunities in sub-regions, Vietnam put forward the organisation of the forum to integrate the development of the sub-regions into ASEAN’s process.

At the forum, participants highly valued Vietnam’s initiative as precise and timely, amid ASEAN’s recovery in the post-pandemic period.

The holding of the forum also underlined ASEAN’s central role at the ‘home ground’, as the organisation is responsible for linking and guiding sub-regions in all fields, therefore ensuring resources, development, peace, stability in the region and the world.

Dung believed that the event is the continuation of Vietnam’s efforts when it assumed the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020, with the aim of promoting the development of sub-regions in accordance with the ASEAN community-building process.

This is a suitable approach supported by nations, so that ASEAN can uphold its role in a large area and sub-regions, he affirmed.

Dung stated that through the forum, leaders of countries in sub-regions and ASEAN will reach consensus on policies so as to create mechanisms facilitating businesses.

It also enabled ASEAN nations to learn difficulties facing enterprises in a bid to seek solutions, and helped businesses realise their strengths in the sub-regional development process.