Foreign Minister receives ASEAN Secretary-General

Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung on January 14 hosted a reception for ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, who is on a visit to Vietnam to attend the 6th ASEAN Digital Ministers Meeting (ADGMIN).

Trung spoke highly of the active role and significant contributions of the ASEAN Secretary-General and the ASEAN Secretariat to the bloc’s common work, as well as their continued support for and close cooperation with Vietnam in recent years.

The Vietnamese official underscored the importance of unity, solidarity, and a strong focus on advancing the ASEAN Community-building goals. He noted that ASEAN member states should prioritise resources to effectively implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its strategic plans, while supporting Timor-Leste’s effective participation and full integration into the bloc's cooperation frameworks.

In the face of complex regional and global developments, ASEAN needs to continue reinforcing its solidarity and central role, strengthening resilience and strategic autonomy, and responding swiftly and efficiently to challenges and flashpoints, thereby safeguarding peace, security, and stability for economic development in the region, he noted.

The minister also highlighted the importance of promoting economic, trade, investment, and connectivity cooperation through the productive implementation and utilisation of regional agreements such as the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and the ASEAN Power Grid (APG), while leveraging new growth drivers including innovation, digital transformation, digital economy, and enhanced science and technology partnerships among ASEAN member states and with external partners.

He called on the ASEAN Secretariat to support member states to study and propose practical initiatives not only in economic, trade, and investment cooperation, but also in enhancing early-warning, response, and problem-solving capacities to address challenges affecting regional peace, security, and stability by capitalising on instruments and mechanisms such as the ASEAN Charter and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).

On the occasion of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), scheduled for January 19 25, Trung said that basing on a comprehensive review of 40 years of the “Doi moi” (renewal) process, the congress will identify Vietnam’s overarching development goals and orientations for a new era.

Vietnam will continue to pursue a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, and multilateralisation and diversification of external relations, he stressed, adding that ASEAN always holds a strategic and important role in Vietnam’s foreign policy.

Vietnam is committed to actively working with other member states to build a united, resilient, and strong ASEAN Community while promoting and reinforcing the bloc’s central role in the evolving regional architecture.

For his part, Kao hailed Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements, noting that the country has become a model of sustainable development. He affirmed that the ASEAN Secretariat stands ready to support member states in realising the goals of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

He congratulated the CPV and expressed confidence that its 14th National Congress will be successful, contributing significantly to Vietnam’s development and further strengthening the country’s role and standing in the region and the world.

Kao confirmed that he will attend the 3rd ASEAN Future Forum (AFF), scheduled for 2026, showing his belied it will support ASEAN member states in implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and associated strategic plans./.