Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (right) and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan co-chair the ASEAN Leaders' Interface with Representatives of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in June, 2020. (Photo: VNA)

He told a Vietnamese reporter in Jakarta that since joining ASEAN on July 28, 1995, Vietnam has integrated extensively into the global economy and opened itself up to free trade. Almutaqqi said Vietnam now plays an important role in the global value chain. 

He said that this trend is what ASEAN integration projects are designed for and Vietnam is clearly benefiting from integration. Vietnam is increasingly seen an ASEAN leader, he added.