 General Secretary To Lam and his wife, along with ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn and his wife, cut the cake to celebrate 30 years of Vietnam joining ASEAN, in Indonesia, March 2025. (Photo: VNA) |
On July 28, 1995, in the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, Vietnam’s national anthem resounded and the Vietnamese flag proudly flew alongside the national flags of the six ASEAN founding members: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Brunei. This event opened a new chapter for the region with Vietnam becoming the 7th member of ASEAN.
The milestone marked a turning point in Vietnam’s regional and global integration and represented a significant step toward realizing ASEAN’s founding members’ vision for a Southeast Asia united by a shared aspiration for peace and prosperity.
Turning vision into reality
Vietnam’s accession in 1995 was a catalyst for the bloc’s expansion, paving the way for Laos and Myanmar to join in 1997, followed by Cambodia in 1999, completing the ASEAN-10 Vision.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn said: "As a new member, Vietnam has been a steadfast champion of ASEAN's efforts to bridge the development gap. This commitment is exemplified by the 2001 Hanoi Declaration on narrowing the development gap for closer ASEAN integration, which emphasizes our collective responsibility to integrate Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam into the ASEAN economic mainstream. Vietnam's leadership in ASEAN is further highlighted through its chairmanship of ASEAN in 1998, 2010, 2020. Each of these chairmanships was distinguished by notable achievements and have fundamentally shaped ASEAN."
Over the past 30 years, Vietnam has consistently played a proactive role in strengthening ASEAN’s external relations and enriching its engagement with the world. Vietnam has aligned its multilateral foreign policy with ASEAN’s overarching strategic vision. As a representative of Malaysia, which holds the ASEAN Chair in 2025, Malaysian Ambassador to ASEAN Sarah Al Bakri Devadason said Vietnam has been an indispensable partner in ASEAN’s journey.
She said: "30 years is a long time. There's a lot that Vietnam has done. Its initial admission, basically, allowed for greater economic integration in the region and opened markets and trade liberalization as well. In terms of political cohesion, there was also this contribution by Vietnam. In its role as the country coordinators for some of our external relations, over the years, Vietnam has contributed to a lot of in a lot of ways to advancing ASEAN as well as advancing ASEAN cooperation whether within the intra-ASEAN cooperation or external partners as well. So, it's a family of 10 now. We view Vietnam as an integral part of ASEAN and a very well-respected member of ASEAN."
Shaping ASEAN’s future
As ASEAN adopts its Vision for the ASEAN Community 2045 this year, Vietnam is expected to continue playing a pivotal role in shaping the bloc’s future. Australian Ambassador to ASEAN Tiffany McDonald said: "Australia works very closely with Vietnam in the region more broadly, bilaterally, we're comprehensive strategic partners now, um, but through ASEAN as well. So I'm really excited that in 2025 we'll see the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 adopted. And you'll recall that came from the asset that will be a way to implement the ASEAN's 2020 Hanoi Declaration. So it's another example of Vietnam and the important role that it plays in advancing ASEAN's agenda in the region."
Amid growing challenges both within and beyond the region, many countries are looking to Vietnam to take on a more prominent role within ASEAN, particularly in connecting the bloc with its dialogue partners.
Japanese Ambassador to ASEAN Kiya Masahiko said: "Vietnam is one of the key countries in ASEAN. It's growing position, it's facing an important sea lane, also linking the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. So maintaining security, safety of passage, freedom of navigation over there is very important. The next challenge is we need to think not only about our two countries, but also this region, the Indo-Pacific region and beyond."
Vietnam’s decision to join ASEAN was timely, strategic, and of great historical significance. Contributing to ASEAN’s development remains a core priority of Vietnam’s multilateral diplomacy.
Vietnam prioritizes working with fellow member states to reinforce solidarity and unity, uphold ASEAN’s fundamental principles, safeguard its central role, deepen and expand relations with partners, and enhance the bloc’s resilience, autonomy, and adaptability in an increasingly complex regional and global environment.