Hanoi (VNA)🌠 – The 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits, which were held via videoconference, concluded on October 28 after three days of sitting under the chair of Brunei Darussalam - Chair of ASEAN 2021.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham MinhChinh attended 14 out of 17 majoractivities, including the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits,and ASEAN Summits with the Republic of Korea, China, the US, Japan, Australia,India, Russia, the ASEAN 3 Summit and the 16th East Asia Summit (EAS). At these meetings, PM Chinh delivered important speeches, focusing on key issues and emerging challenges facedby ASEAN, including COVID-19 response, post-pandemic economic recovery, theEast Sea and Myanmar issues, building the post-2025 ASEAN Community Vision and promotingASEAN’s role in sub-regional cooperation. He reiterated Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence,self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation, and comprehensiveand intensive international integration, affirming that Vietnam is an active,proactive member and makes responsible contributions to ASEAN’s common affairs;stands side by side with countries to overcome difficulties; maintainsolidarity; effectively cope with emerging challenges, and consolidatesASEAN’s central role, position and international voice. During the meetings, leaders of ASEAN and partner countries reachedhigh consensus on measures to enhance cooperation against the COVID-19 pandemic, especially improvingmedical capacity, vaccine self-sufficiency, restoring socio-economicdevelopment, and resuming travelling among nations in the new normal. They pledged to step up collaboration in the fields of digitaltransformation and economy, green economy, effective response to climate changetoward sustainable recovery and development. The leaders also looked into emerging issues affecting peace, securityand stability in the region and the world. Regarding the East Sea issue, they heightened the sense of responsibility, spirit of law abidance, peaceful settlement of disputes, full andeffective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in theEast Sea (DOC), and building of an effective and efficient Code of Conduct inthe East Sea (COC) in line with international law, including the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The leaders of the ASEAN and partner nations announced, adopted and took noteof about 100 documents, including declarations, strategies, cooperation frameworks,plans of action, reports and vision papers in fields under three pillars ofregional cooperation. On October 28 afternoon, Brunei transferredthe ASEAN Chairmanship 2022 to Cambodia./.