Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) hands over a wooden hammer to the Ambassador of Brunei to Vietnam, as his country will hold the role as ASEAN Chair in 2021. (Photo: VNA)Jakarta (VNA) – Vietnam’s leadership to maneuverASEAN through the COVID-19 pandemic is highly commendable, according toAmbassador Noel Servigon, head of the Permanent Mission of thePhillipines to ASEAN.
The country led negotiations on many critical issues spanningcooperation on the three pillars of political-security, economic andsocio-cultural cooperation with its external partners, he said in a recentinterview granted to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Jakarta.
“The mantle ofleadership was made heavier as the region moved through the unchartered terrainof the pandemic that brought all of us to unimagined realities,” he said,adding that despite the challenges, Vietnam not only successfully convenedASEAN meetings, but kept the momentum of cooperation going with all of ASEAN'sDialogue and External Partners, as well as through ASEAN-led mechanisms such asthe East Asia Summit.
And across these many interactions, Vietnam consistently underscored theprimacy of ASEAN centrality, making it clear that ASEAN is in the driver's seatand decides the course of the region's future, according to the ambassador.
The Philippine diplomat said the recently concluded and highly successful 37thASEAN Summit and Related Summits continued to highlight the importance of ASEANcentrality, and the relevance of ASEAN and its mechanisms.
“At the heart of the Summit was the region's collective response not only toaddress the enormous challenges posed by the pandemic, but also to embrace theopportunities towards a better future for all our peoples,” he stressed.
Regarding ASEAN’s outsanding achievemtns this year, NoelServigon said ASEAN adopted a number of forward-looking documents andinitiatives which make it clear that the only path forward must be one towardsan even deeper regional engagement on vital issues.
The launch of the ASEAN Center for Public Health Emergencies and EmergingDiseases is a prime example, he said, noting “The Center is a manifestation ofour collective recognition that if we are to emerge victorious from thiscurrent pandemic and avoid future ones, we must work in concert with oneanother.”
He continued the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership(RCEP) Agreement is another example of the 15 countries joining hands andembracing cooperation in the midst of protectionist pressures.
Apart from the many laudable initiatives conceived in 2020, this year shouldalso be marked by the sheer triumph of the ASEAN spirit - one that ischaracterized by unity in diversity. “Despite the challenges posed by thepandemic, our resolve to face those hurdles together have never been stronger,”he stated.
The signing of the agreement brought to a close an 8-year process ofnegotiations and marks the beginning of an even deeper regional integration, hesaid, adding that this milestone agreement is a beacon of hope in the face ofrising protectionism and charts a path to strengthen supply chain connectivity.
The signing of RCEP demonstrates the commitment of 15 countries to freer tradeand provides the momentum to economic recovery at a time when the globaleconomy plunges into its worst recession brought about by the COVID-19pandemic.
“Given the enormous challenges of the pandemic, RCEP is crucial as we connectwith countries where supply chains are essential to our economic recovery.Deepening regional integration and strengthening supply chain connectivity ismore important than ever,” he said.
It will have far-reaching tangible and collective benefits and advantages forthe region and our individual economies by, among others, empowering micro-,small and medium enterprises to gainfully participate in the global valuechain, generate jobs and improve standards of living in the region and restoremuch needed business confidence, according to the ambassador./.
VNA
