Moscow (VNA) – Vietnam has played a huge role inthe ASEAN development over the last 25 years, Grigory Trofimchuk, Chairman ofthe Russia-based Expert Council of the Eurasian Foundation for Support ofScientific Research, has said.
Vietnam has not only proved itself as a responsible memberof ASEAN but also taken a leadership role of the bloc, he told the Vietnam NewsAgency correspondent in Russia during an interview on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Vietnam’s ASEAN membership (July 28, 1995 – 2020).
Vietnam has been contributing to heightening ASEAN’sposition globally, he said, adding that Russian experts recognise peaceinitiatives by Vietnam to regional issues.
He expected that Vietnam would be ready to share experiencewith ASEAN member states and continue coming up with peaceful and constructivesolutions to issues in Asia-Pacific, including the East Sea issue.
He noted that Vietnam has done a lot to help Moscowfoster effective cooperation with ASEAN and promote Russian’s interests inthe region.
Thanks to the free trade agreement with Vietnam, the EurasianEconomic Union (EEU) has expanded its presence in Southeast Asia, Trofimchuksaid, adding that it is necessary to maximise the free trade area between theEEU and ASEAN and create a stable playground for both sides in economy andsecurity.
He voiced his confidence that Russia, Vietnam and ASEAN areon the right track to achieve their goals./.