On December 31^st 2015, ASEAN Community was officially established with three pillars: the ASEAN Political and Security Community (APSC), the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC). That is a historic milestone in ASEAN connectivity, reflecting common perception and determination of the ASEAN member states for peace, stability and prosperity of the region. As a member of ASEAN, Vietnam feels proud of what it has contributed to ASEAN achievements.

Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh delivering speech at a Workshop on ASEAN Community (photo: VNA)

From ideas and resolve to great achievements

Right in the last decade of the 20^th century, fundamental changes of the world situation, along with new elements, led to a pressing need of cooperation among countries to gain strength and edge for maintaining peace, stability, development in each region and the world. With that common perception, on the occasion of 30^th founding anniversary of the Association, ASEAN leaders passed the ASEAN Vision 2020 which first mentioned the idea of a harmonious community. In the Bali Declaration of ASEAN Concord II released in October 2003, leaders of the Association decided to build an ASEAN Community in the year 2020 with APSC, AEC, and ASCC as three pillars. However, rapid development of the trend of globalization, the increasingly deep international integration, as well as regional and global issues have prompted higher-level regional cooperation and connectivity. Thus, duration of the internal connectivity and the formation of the ASEAN Community was shortened and scheduled to launch in 2015. Over the past 7 years, ASEAN has completed 94% of the building of its Community. That reflects ASEAN relentless efforts and is significant results in the three pillars.

First, political-security cooperation has been lifted to a new height, more plentiful in fields, more profound in contents, and more diverse in forms. In this regard, the region’s principles and norms, such as the Treaty of Amity and Co-operation in South East Asia (TAC) and the Treaty on the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, were established, brought into play, and became foundations directing relations both inside and outside ASEAN. Notably, value of those norms has been widely spread, making significant contributions to promoting dialogue and consultation culture, and building confidence, particularly building strategic confidence. In addition, regional issues, such as human rights, migration, security in the East Sea, and non-traditional security challenges, have been discussed on the agenda in a candid, open, and united way.

Second, economic cooperation for the prosperity among the countries has been encouraged throughout AEC, which has created motivation for a common market of 10 nations with a population of over 625 million people and a combined GDP of around $2,600 billion. According to statistics, from 2007 to 2013, ASEAN commercial and investment transaction increased from $1,600 billion to $2,500 billion; direct investment in the region increased nearly 50% from $84 billion to $122 billion. Economic experts believe that the region’s economic growth will reach 7.1% and create 14 million new jobs next year. It is estimated that the ASEAN economy (now ranks 7^th in the world) will rank 4^th in the year 2050.

Third, cooperation in culture-society in association with life of the people among ASEAN member states has been developed comprehensively and practically. In all fields of education, health, social welfare, environment, response to natural disasters, epidemic, and environmental disasters, ASCC pillar has attached great importance to improving living conditions for the people. In the past decade, the number of the poor and extreme poor in the member nations decreased as much as 4-fold; meanwhile, the number of middle-class people increased as much as 6-fold, from 50 million (2004) to 300 million (2014). Noticeably, eventful and effective cooperation among the countries throughout various frameworks and mechanisms has established a routine for cooperation in order to build a great caring and sharing community of the Southeast Asian peoples. This is a matter of critical importance that will promote the formation of a shared identity of ASEAN to connect the peoples from its member states with the community consciousness and circulate ASEAN values to the outside.

Moreover, gearing towards an open region with ASEAN centrality is also an outstanding result of the Association. Together with internal cooperation, ASEAN pursues an open policy in its connectivity process. Acting as “an honest moderator”, ASEAN succeeded in attracting and bonding partners throughout frameworks, such as ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum. These mechanisms have their own characteristics which supplement one another to gradually shape an ASEAN-led multi-layer, multi-facet regional architecture. Persistently following this policy, ASEAN has set up strategic partnerships with 7 countries, namely China, South Korea, Japan, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, India, and comprehensive partnerships with Russia, European Union (EU), and Canada. This is a great achievement and a milestone in ASEAN process of integration and development. As a result, on December 31^st 2015, ASEAN officially announced the formation of the ASEAN Community.

Looking back on the nearly 50-year step, particularly the 7-year roadmap to build the Community, we could affirm that ASEAN cooperation is a progressive process, from low to high, from general to specific, from unofficial to official, and institutionalized with the changeless target of one common vision. In this regard, building the ASEAN Community was determined to be a durable process that has brought concrete and practical interests to the region and member states, including maintaining peace, stability, cooperation for development and prosperity.

Vietnam’s contributions

As a member of ASEAN since 1995, Vietnam has proactively made contributions to building a strong ASEAN and realizing the idea of an ASEAN Community by the year 2015. During the two-decade ASEAN membership, under the motto of "proactive, active and responsible" participation, Vietnam has seriously fulfilled the commitments and obligations of a member country while making important contributions to the grouping's development and strength which have been recognized by countries both inside and outside the region.

In 1998, 3 years after joining ASEAN, we successfully held the 6^th ASEAN Summit with a full agenda. With role of the host and efforts made by member nations, Vietnam guided and led the Summit to many breakthroughs, particularly the Hanoi Declaration and Hanoi Action Plan, demonstrating the resolve to overcome difficulties and dispel all criticisms and doubts about the efficiency of ASEAN. Also in this Summit, with flexible application of ASEAN ways and means, Vietnam made significant contributions to accepting Cambodia into ASEAN as the 10^th member, realizing the dream of uniting 10 Southeast Asian nations under the same roof, and laying the first brick to build the ASEAN Community.

 As the chairman of ASEAN from 2000 to 2001, Vietnam made the issue of narrowing development gap a top and frequent priority of ASEAN (in 2001 ASEAN released Hanoi Declaration on narrowing development gap). In the Community building, narrowing development gap is an important step to aid member states to fully and effectively integrate into ASEAN, bringing common prosperity to the whole region. 

Following those achievements, Vietnam has deeply engaged in ASEAN cooperation in all fields of politics, security, defence, economics, culture, health, education, and environment. Role of Vietnam has been clearly manifested in its contributions to building important documents of ASEAN, such as Bali Declaration of ASEAN Concord II (2003), Vientiane Action Plan (2004), ASEAN Charter (2007), Roadmap for an ASEAN Community (2009-2015).

The most notable contribution of Vietnam is that it successfully fulfilled the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2010. Under the theme “Towards an ASEAN Community: from Vision to Action”, Vietnam proactively led and smoothly run the new apparatus of ASEAN (after ASEAN Charter was released), significantly contributing to the building of the Community in terms of implementation and practicality. Also in 2010, external relations of ASEAN were increasingly expanded. It was the first time in Hanoi there were 10 Summits between ASEAN and its partners which laid down orientations for cooperation and development in the region, and decided to invite Russia and the U.S. to attend East Asia Summit. Thus, 2010 was considered as an important transitional year for ASEAN connectivity process.

Bringing into play success of the year 2010 and successfully implementing the guideline set out by the 11^th National Party Congress, namely “proactive, actively, and responsible participation in building a strong ASEAN Community”, Vietnam continued to play a pioneering role in carrying out priorities towards an ASEAN Community, being one of the countries who most sufficiently finalize obligations and commitments in the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community. It also made a lot of efforts to building and realizing documents and strategic decisions of ASEAN in the new period, such as Declaration on ASEAN Community in a Global Community (2011), Declaration of EAS on Principles for Mutually Beneficial Relations (2011), ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (2012), and ASEAN Vision 2025.

The formation of the ASEAN Community will move ASEAN to a more dynamic and practical period. A deeply integrated ASEAN will definitely continue to bring its member states and the region more great and practical benefits. Holding the motto of proactive, active, and responsible participation, Vietnam will make every effort for the future of a united and strong ASEAN Community.

Pham Binh Minh

Member of the Politburo, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs