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At the event. Photo: NDO

Secretary General of the National ASEAN 2020 Committee, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung on November 18 chaired an international press conference on Vietnam's ASEAN President Year 2020.

Speaking at the event, he said that Vietnam will officially assume the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from January 1, 2020. Vietnam has chosen “Cohesive and Responsive” as the theme of the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020, given the complicated developments in the region and the world that pose many challenges to multilateralism and free trade as well as the increasing non-traditional security threats.

According to Secretary General of the National ASEAN 2020 Committee, 2020 will be a significant year to ASEAN in general and Vietnam in particular to review the mid-term implementation of a general plan to build the ASEAN Community between 2015 and 2025, and mark the 25th anniversary of Vietnam’s membership in the association. Vietnam will also take the role of a non-permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council for 2020-2021, he added.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung emphasised that Vietnam has determined that taking over the ASEAN Chair in 2020 is a heavy responsibility but also brings many opportunities.

In ASEAN chairmanship term, Vietnam will highlight the country’s five priorities.

Firstly, Vietnam will promote ASEAN’s role and active contributions to the maintenance of peace, security and stability in the region on the basic of strengthening intra-bloc solidarity, unification and coordination to address regional and international matters.

Secondly, Vietnam will promote regional connectivity and adaptation; optimise opportunities from the Fourth Industrial Revolution to promote sustainable and inclusive growth in economy, finance, and society; narrow development gaps; build high-quality human resources; and increase social services for vulnerable groups.

Thirdly, Vietnam will raise public awareness of ASEAN’s identity by creating common values of ASEAN and widely popularsing them among people.

Fourthly, Vietnam will step up partnerships for peace and sustainable development with all countries around the world and promote ASEAN’s role in and contributions to the international community.

Fifthly, Vietnam will improve the adaptation and operational efficiency of ASEAN, and improve its institutional reform.

According to Dung, Vietnam will chair, coordinate and organise about 300 conferences and various activities during the ASEAN Chairmanship 2020, including important events such as a summit in April and November and the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in August.

Other meetings will focus on ASEAN’s three pillars – politics and security; economy; and culture-society.

Regarding the logo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung said that through the Logo Design Competition in April, 2019, Vietnam has selected the logo for ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020. It is expected that by the end of November 2020, Vietnam will hold a ceremony to announce the logo and open the official website of ASEAN 2020.

According to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung, Vietnam will chair, coordinate and organise around 300 different conferences and activities.

Deputy PM, FM Pham Binh Minh is the Chairman of the Committee. Three Vice Chairmen include Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh, and Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung works as head of the sub-committees for contents and receptions and head of the secretariat. The 25 members of the National ASEAN 2020 Committee are leaders from ministries and agencies.

The Committee consists of five sub-committees of contents, reception, materials-logistics, communications-culture, security-health and secretariat.

So far, Vietnam is ready to take over the ASEAN Chairmanship for 2020, starting with the first event - the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat in January 2020.