Friday, 28/08/2020 17:03 (GMT+7)
According to an article from the US Wilson Center, 2020 is seeing Vietnam holding two key positions simultaneously that will spotlight its foreign policy approach: the annually rotating chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Vietnam holds two key positions simultaneously of ASEAN President and UNSC non-permanent member. (Photo: baoquocte.vn)
The article said that over the past few years, Vietnam’s foreign policy has been in focus due to Hanoi’s increasing activism on a range of issues ranging from peacekeeping to the territorial disputes in the East Sea.
“Vietnam’s foreign policy since the Doi Moi era of the late 1980s led to a greater emphasis on political and economic integration with the rest of Asia and the wider world. Contemporary Vietnamese foreign policy since then has evolved to include a mix of priorities, including strengthening ties with neighboring countries in the Mekong subregion where Hanoi exercises significant influence, a more active role in the wider Southeast Asian region, and cultivating links with a wide range of major powers, be it newer relationships such as with the US, or older ties with China and Russia,” the article said.
The article confirmed: “Vietnam’s twin ASEAN and UNSC positions in 2020 will ensure that it will be a big year showcasing Vietnam’s role as a middle power in its own right, be it its growing involvement on international issues such as peacekeeping or regional ones such as the shaping of the ASEAN-led regional architecture. The latter issue will be of particular note next year since it will also mark the tenth anniversary of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), first held when Vietnam last hosted ASEAN back in 2010 and now considered a key forum for discussing regional security issues.”
The year 2020 also marks important events in Vietnam, including the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and 75th year since the founding of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, while the whole country is emulating to make achievements to welcome the 13th National Party Congress, which makes its ASEAN Chairmanship and UN Security Council non-permanent membership more significant.
With the right approach as well as long-term diplomatic lessons and experiences, Vietnam confidently assumes the role of ASEAN President 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council term 2020-2021, thereby, helping improving Vietnam’s image and position on the international arena, expanding relations with large partners, maintaining a stable outside environment for domestic economic development./.
Compiled by BTA