As Chair of ASEAN in 2020, Vietnam has done well in ensuring that the bloc has continued to meet and perform in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Malaysian experts.
Dr. Hoo Chiew Ping, Senior Lecturer in Strategic Studies and International Relations under the National University of Malaysia (Photo: VNA)
Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – As Chair of ASEAN in 2020, Vietnam has done well in ensuring that thebloc has continued to meet and perform in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic,said Malaysian experts.
In a recent interviewgranted to Vietnam News Agency’s correspondents in Malaysia, Dr. HooChiew Ping, Senior Lecturer in Strategic Studies and International Relations under the National University of Malaysia saidthe year 2020 is greatly disrupted by the global COVID-19 crisis, which was achallenge to Vietnam when it faced the second wave of the pandemic outbreak.
However, the country onceagain contained the outbreak successfully, and this leads to Vietnam being theonly ASEAN member state that achieved GDP growth this year, she noted.
According to her, digitalizingcooperation tracks is another challenge under Vietnam's ASEAN chairmanship, asthe region and the world need to maintain regional interactions and cooperationas usual under the hurdles of social traffic disruption.
Given the sustained ASEAN dialogues and meetings, and the fact that severalsummits with ASEAN dialogue partners are going to be held alongside the ASEANSummit week, it shows Vietnam's tremendous leadership in fostering intra-ASEANcommunication while maintaining the bloc’s partnership with external partners, she said.
“Vietnam is going to set the standards and protocols for convening future ASEANmeetings and dialogues in case of future disruptions, and this is no easy feat,”the scholar said.
Sharing Hoo Chiew Ping’s opinion, Dr. Ngeow Chow Bing, Director of the Institute of China Studies at the University of Malaya, said giventhe sudden emergence of the pandemic, Vietnam has done well in its ownresponse, and in preparing the various contingencies facing ASEAN./.
Complementary cooperation is one of ASEAN's strengths in forging cooperation with any other powers, and will provide ASEAN with advantage in the era of Indo-Pacific competition and post-COVID-19 pandemic order, said a Malaysian expert.
Vietnam has been a highly responsible and enthusiastic member of ASEAN in the past 25 years since its membership of the bloc, Dr. Munir Majid, Chairman of ASEAN Business Advisory Council Malaysia (ASEAN-BAC Malaysia) has said.
ASEAN has continued to move firmly and collectively towards the goal of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, while dealing with emerging challenges, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said on November 10.
Secretary General of the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) Masataka Fujita has appreciated continued efforts by the Vietnamese Government in holding the good ASEAN chairmanship in 2020, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Straits Times, an English-language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore, on November 9 ran an article spotlighting impressive achievements of Vietnam, the Chair of the ASEAN 2020.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
Dr. Hoo Chiew Ping, Senior Lecturer in Strategic Studies and International Relations under the National University of Malaysia (Photo: VNA) 
