21 hours ago
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March 11, 2025 | 09:04 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), To Lam, stated that ASEAN's 60-year journey has provided many lessons, especially regarding self-reliance and independence. He identified three historical events that have significantly influenced the region.
First, To Lam pointed to the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s. He said the crisis raised serious questions about the effectiveness of regional economic cooperation. At that time, some worried that ASEAN's economic focus would shift inward due to protectionist pressures.
"However, ASEAN chose the opposite path," said To Lam during the commemoration of Vietnam's 30 years of membership at the ASEAN Secretariat office in South Jakarta on Monday, March 10, 2025.
Amid the crisis, To Lam explained, ASEAN recognized the strong connections within the region's economies. At that time, he said, ASEAN decided to accelerate integration through the ASEAN Free Trade Area, which increased the free flow of goods, services, and investments.
To Lam explained that these efforts allowed ASEAN to recover and eventually create a network of free trade agreements covering 30 percent of the world's population and contributing 32 percent of global GDP.
Next, To Lam highlighted the second historical event, ASEAN's 2007 decision to speed up the formation of the ASEAN Community by 2015, five years earlier than planned.
To Lam explained that there was an urgent need to improve ASEAN's connectivity to match increasing globalization and regional integration. Therefore, he said, ASEAN adopted the ASEAN Charter in 2008, which provided a comprehensive legal and institutional framework for integration.
"The official establishment of the ASEAN Community on 31 December 2015 represented a profound change for ASEAN across its Political-Security, Economic, and Socio-Cultural pillars," he said.
Currently, To Lam stated that ASEAN has united its ten member states into a diverse community. According to him, this step is an important link for regional and global integration. The ASEAN community, he said, also serves as a bridge for dialogue and cooperation that promotes peace and development.
Furthermore, To Lam considered ASEAN's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 as a key event. He revealed that ASEAN mobilized collective resources and acted with a unified purpose.
Amid global economic challenges at that time, To Lam said ASEAN successfully managed them, with projected growth reaching 4.7 percent this year.
"Solidarity, self-reliance, collaboration, and unity in diversity remain instrumental to
ASEAN’s resilience in a volatile world," he said.
Editor’s Choice: ASEAN Secretary-General Praises Vietnam's To Lam's Leadership
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