33rd ASEAN Summit opens with message of multilateralism

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI – Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, together with other leaders from ASEAN member countries, yesterday attended the plenary session of the ongoing 33rd ASEAN Summit in Singapore. In his opening address, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Long of the host country raised important issues that Southeast Asian countries would need to focus on: the need to build a peaceful, stable and rule-based region, sustaining the economic dynamism of ASEAN, and strengthening the bloc’s capacity to effectively ensure regional security and stability. ASEAN would continue to collaborate with partners to address challenges facing an interdependent and interconnected world, PM Lee said. “We are determined to maintain an open, inclusive and ASEAN-centric regional architecture,” the Singaporean leader added. ASEAN leaders, at the event, shared the view that ASEAN unity and centrality would need to be further consolidated if the regional bloc is to deal with the complicated developments at both the regional and global level, including issues within ASEAN itself. Member countries agreed that ASEAN needs to make an effort to facilitate dialogue, co-operation and trust-building, with the immediate task at hand including the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea between ASEAN and China. Speaking at the event, Prime Minister of Việt Nam Nguyễn Xuân Phúc expressed his appreciation for the positive achievements ASEAN has made under the chairmanship of Singapore and thanked Singaporean PM Lee for his contributions. PM Phúc stressed that in the coming years, self-reliance and innovation must continue to be pursued… [Read full story]