Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc witnesses the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a highlight of Vietnam's ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020. (Photo: VNA)

In an article published recently on Asialink website, Dr. Huong said that, faced with growing strategic rivalry in the Indo-Pacific and unprecedented health and economic crises this year, ASEAN still enjoyed a productive year.

She underscored Vietnam’s economic and trade contributions, COVID-19 recovery plans, and innovation for a post-pandemic world. Vietnam addressed issues that threatened ASEAN unity by focusing on collective initiatives for a post-COVID recovery, in line with its chairmanship theme of a ‘Cohesive and Responsive’ ASEAN Community. Vietnam’s chairmanship was instrumental in steering ASEAN back to the zone of cooperation by its ASEAN-centered activity. Vietnam’s chairmanship allowed ASEAN to surmount some of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and set the region on a path to recovery.