Prime Minister suggests ASEAN improve mechanisms and streamline apparatus

This morning, April 29, at the Manila International Convention Center (PICC) in the capital, the opening ceremony of the 30th ASEAN Summit, the first summit in the year of the Philippines' ASEAN Chairmanship, officially took place with the participation of leaders of 10 ASEAN member countries.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc leads a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to attend the 30th ASEAN Summit held in the Philippines. Photo: VGP/Quang Hieu

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc led a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to attend this important conference.

In his opening remarks, Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte highlighted the special significance of 2017 - the “golden anniversary” year of ASEAN as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. Accordingly, ASEAN needs to create a new mark in the public’s awareness, enhance the image of a closely-knit ASEAN Community, focus on the people and open to external relations.

With the theme “Joining hands for change, connecting the world”, Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte emphasized the common determination of ASEAN countries to build a strong, united and united Community, focusing on the interests of the people, promoting the central role in handling issues of common concern, and actively contributing to peace, security and prosperity of the region and the world.

Immediately after the opening ceremony, ASEAN leaders held a plenary session of the 30th ASEAN Summit focusing on discussing directions and measures to strengthen ASEAN connectivity, effectively implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the Master Plans of the Community pillars.

Regarding priority areas of cooperation for 2017, the leaders emphasized that they will focus on building a people-centered ASEAN Community, ready to respond to security challenges, enhancing maritime cooperation, promoting inclusive and innovation-based growth, enhancing ASEAN's resilience through disaster management and climate change response mechanisms, and enhancing ASEAN's role.

The leaders further affirmed that solidarity, unity and internal strength are the foundation for the next stage of ASEAN's development; committed to striving for the goal of sustainable economic development, narrowing the development gap, enhancing ASEAN's competitiveness, enhancing the ability to effectively respond to emerging challenges; at the same time, continuing to improve the operational apparatus, enhancing the effectiveness of ASEAN cooperation, attracting a wide range of people to participate in the process of building a common Community.

Photo: VGP/Quang Hieu

Devote more resources to startups and innovation

Speaking at the conference, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his support for the cooperation priorities of the Philippines, the ASEAN chair country this year.

“These are very practical contents, reflecting the requirements of strengthening internal strength, connecting within ASEAN and promoting ASEAN's central role as a global partner,” the Prime Minister stated and emphasized a number of ideas.

Firstly, people-oriented and people-centered must be the top priority of the ASEAN Community.

The Prime Minister said that it is necessary to consolidate and deepen the achievements, encourage and create conditions for ASEAN people to actively participate in and take control of the process of building the Community, especially people in remote and disadvantaged areas, to improve the effectiveness of ASEAN cooperation.

Stating that Vietnam is striving to build an honest government, create development and take action to serve the people, and evaluate the effectiveness of its operations based on people's satisfaction, the Prime Minister suggested that it is necessary to focus on projects that connect people of member countries, connect job opportunities, education, cultural exchange, tourism, etc. so that people can benefit more from the ASEAN association and integration process.

ASEAN sectoral agencies, with the support of the Secretariat, need to take specific measures to encourage broad participation of the people in ASEAN cooperation activities and programs, in order to promote comprehensive and substantive Community integration.

Second, improve the effectiveness of ASEAN's operations. After 50 years, ASEAN cooperation has penetrated deeply into each sector and field. However, it is necessary to strongly improve current regulations, streamline the apparatus, improve efficiency, and increase connectivity between ASEAN pillars and mechanisms. "At the conference, the ASEAN Declaration on the role of the civil service will be signed, according to which I propose to build a number of common standards on the ASEAN civil service, such as the process of facilitating public services and interactions between the Government and the people," said the Prime Minister.

Photo: VGP/Quang Hieu

Third, according to the Prime Minister, intra-bloc cooperation and regional connectivity are very important for ASEAN's development in the context of globalization facing difficulties and increasing protectionism. In recent times, trade between ASEAN and external partners has increased sharply, but intra-ASEAN trade has increased slowly, currently accounting for only about 25%. It is necessary to promote intra-bloc cooperation and exploit the resources of the market of 620 million people with increasing incomes and increasing purchasing power for ASEAN businesses and investors.

In addition, with more than 90% of ASEAN enterprises being small and medium-sized enterprises, the Prime Minister said that ASEAN needs to soon complete the action plan to implement the SME Development Strategy 2016-2025, allocate more resources to start-ups and innovation activities, support access to finance, and expand markets in the global digital economy. In particular, Vietnam will work with Thailand to play a leading role in implementing the priority area of ​​"Improving productivity, promoting technology and innovation".

After 50 years of development, ASEAN is considered a successful model of regional integration based on the foundation of solidarity and unity among its members. The Prime Minister expressed his belief that ASEAN will continue to develop sustainably, best meet the interests of its people and increasingly gain a worthy position in the region and the world.

This afternoon, the leaders will attend the retreat of the 30th ASEAN Summit and Dialogue sessions with representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and ASEAN Youth.

According to Chinhphu.vn