Hanoi (VNA) - Modern Diplomacy, an invaluable platform for assessing and evaluating complexinternational issues, on November 10 ran an article giving an assessment of Vietnam’sperformance as ASEAN 2020 Chair and the significance of the 37th ASEAN Summit for the region amid current challenges.

Acccording to the article, Vietnam took over thechairmanship of ASEAN from Thailand in November 2019, and outlined the mottofor the ASEAN meetings in 2020 to be ‘cohesive and responsive’. This was meantto bring about more consensus and unity with regard to initiatives such aspromoting internal strength of the organisation, developing economicconnectivity and integration as well as revisiting the ASEAN values andidentities in the context of new emerging challenges. Vietnam took thechairmanship of ASEAN when the organisation was facing challenges with regardto peace and security, climate change affects, and also the need for outliningthe future for developing the region as an ASEAN community.

Over the periodof eleven months ASEAN has worked strongly with regard to developing betterrelationship with dialogue partners including European Union, China and Indiaas well as coordinating meetings between ASEAN and Japan, most of them inonline mode, it said.

Interestingly,the agenda for the year 2020 has been outlined for ASEAN under the Vietnamchairmanship and there were challenges with regard to addressing issues relatedto economic integration and also developing common protocols about publichealth emergencies, and sharing of information related to the countermeasuresagainst COVID- 19. In fact, during the ASEAN senior officials meeting manyissues which have been discussed in the past have been highlighted and a commonconsensus was reached. During the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting which washeld in September 2020, it was highlighted that there is a need for reinforcingthe ASEAN community vision of the year 2020, and buttressing ASEAN centralityin new multilateral formulations in the region, clearly alluding to theIndo-Pacific construct.

“Vietnam haseffectively brought about comprehensive assessment of the institutionalmechanisms within the organisation, and also reviewed the documents with regardto ASEAN community blueprints. The most important aspect which has beenhighlighted by Vietnam has been developing collective effort against theCOVID-19 pandemic, and establishing joint groups related to public healthemergencies. The challenges for the post COVID-19 recovery have already beenconsidered by the ASEAN organisation and it was suggested that the organisationshould undertake comprehensive recovery framework as well as a time boundimplementation plan. This highlighted the need for research and jointproduction, and distribution of vaccines through cold chain supply networks sothat the larger population of the Southeast Asia could be protected from thispandemic in future,” said the article.

The majorconsideration which have been addressed by Hanoi has been in the field of tradefacilitation and doing away with unnecessary non-tariff measures so that supplyresilience as well as new challenges such as food security, financial stabilityand issues related to energy can be addressed in a cohesive way.                               

One of the earliest meetings which was conducted by Vietnam has been in theframework of the ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) organised at Laos whichacknowledged the gravity of the situation in the COVID-19 phase, and statedthat ASEAN solidarity and unity is necessary for preventing and makingcountermeasures against this pandemic. This meeting undertook special measuressuch as emergency operations centre and also taking necessary cohesive jointactions related to assistance, information and sharing of best practices.Outlining the need for cooperation with ASEAN dialogue partners, the WorldHealth Organisation (WHO) and related bodies, highlighted the adeptness of Vietnamin understanding the problems with regard to pandemics and bringing aboutconsensus on these issues.

According tothe article, even before ACC meetings when the foreign ministers retreat washeld in January 2020, the issues of the stability and prosperity as well asaddressing the emerging challenges in the South China Sea was addressed withoutany biases. Even though one of the biggest handicaps which was faced by Vietnamduring the whole year has been conduct of online conferences and developingunderstanding among ASEAN member states but Vietnam very tactfully addressedthe issue of 4th industry revolution in the meetings,  and how it isgoing to change the economic landscape of the region. It also highlighted therelevance of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) and exuded confidencethat many other non-regional countries will be accepting the TAC.

Majorinitiatives which have been taken by the Vietnam under the chairmanshipincluded better cooperation on transnational crime, public security andcoordination among the ASEAN law enforcement agencies. Recognising the need forbetter financial architecture in the Southeast Asia, Hanoi has brought aboutdialogue between financial institutions and banking sectors in Southeast Asia. italso addressed that there is a need for developing better organised financialarchitecture which can bring about financial stability.

The articlesaid despite lot of constraints because of the online meetings, Vietnam wasstill able to get approval of more than 42 documents during the Septembermeeting of the ASEAN foreign ministers. The one interesting part was to bringabout more activities and responsibilities to the ASEAN Regional Forum underthe Hanoi Plan of Action -II (2020-2025). One of the major highlights has beendiscussing the South China Sea, and referring to it as East Sea during theministerial meetings.    
                                     
Vietnam is expected to take the lead with regard to outlining theutility of TAC, undertaking preparations with regard to granting developmentpartnership to European nations such as France and Italy well at the same timebringing Cuba and Columbia as the new signatory to the TAC, noted it./.