The 2nd Forum of Entities Associated with ASEAN convenes in Jakarta, Indonesia on October 15. (Photo: VNA)Jakarta (VNA) – Over 80 participants from 40entities gathered at the ASEAN Secretariat’s headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesiaon October 15 for the 2nd Forum of Entities Associated with ASEAN.
The forum aimed to encourage discussion on futureprojects and enhance collaboration between the entities and ASEAN sectorialbodies and among the entities themselves in order to strengthen the regionalintegration efforts.
It was also an opportunity to discuss the ASEAN sectorialbodies’ workplans and ASEAN centres’ focus, aims and challenges towards therealisation of the ASEAN Vision 2025.
“This may help form ideas of which areas of work to tapinto, as well as insights on how to align your own workplan with the ASEANVision 2025. This is important because the realization of the ASEAN Vision 2025cannot be done by the governments alone. More bottom-up approaches andinitiatives should be cultivated in line with commitments from the top,” saidSecretary General of ASEAN Lim Jock Hoi in his welcome remarks at the event.
“We all play a valuable role in strengthening our ASEANCommunity (…) I think all of us here share the wish to bring positive impactsto our fellow ASEAN citizens,” he added.
Director of the ASEAN Secretariat’s Community AffairsDirectorate Lee Yoong Yoong said the forum is among projects for the ASEANCommunity that provides a good opportunity to forge a better understanding ofculture, society and economy of ASEAN member states.
Le Nguyen Tue Hang, Vice Provost of Duy Tan Universityfrom Vietnam, noted her university is one of five universities co-founding the“Passage to ASEAN (P2A),” offering regional students a chance to meet and getto know each other’s cultures.
Every year, the Passage to ASEAN hosted hundreds ofexchanges between 82 universities within the P2A network, she said, adding thatstudents could explore the culture of the host country and had an internshipopportunity at a business in an ASEAN member nation.
At the forum, participants shared their experience,including collaboration with stakeholders, within and outside ASEAN, discussedupdates and priorities of the ASEAN Community, and promote a broader engagement ofentities in realising ASEAN Community Vision.-VNA
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