The delegation was warmly received by ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn and his spouse, along with the leadership of the ASEAN Secretariat, ambassadors and permanent representatives of ASEAN member states.

Party General Secretary To Lam (second, left) and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly (first, left) visit the ASEAN Secretariat on March 10.

Following an official welcome ceremony, Party chief Lam planted a commemorative tree at the Secretariat’s headquarters, and presented a painting to the Secretariat.

At the working session with the ASEAN Secretary-General and the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR), the leader affirmed Vietnam's unwavering commitment to ASEAN's development over the past 30 years. Drawing from its own experiences, Vietnam will continue contributing to the common development of the ASEAN Community, he pledged.

Expressing Vietnam’s pride in ASEAN’s global contributions and its robust growth, he held that ASEAN should maintain its unity and solidarity to overcome challenges amidst the complicated global landscape.

He noted that bilateral cooperation between member countries should contribute to ASEAN's common development and collective strength.

The Party leader praised the ASEAN Secretariat's role in facilitating cooperation within ASEAN and between the bloc and its partners, acknowledging the contributions of ASEAN Secretaries-General throughout various periods.

He also recognised the important role of the ambassadors and members of the CPR in advancing cooperation plans and programmes to build the community, boost connectivity among member countries as well as that between them and ASEAN's partners, and enhance ASEAN's operational effectiveness.

He suggested the CPR and ASEAN Secretariat continue working closely with member countries to deliver on the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and successfully implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and strategic plans.

The ASEAN Secretary - General, for his part, described the first-ever visit to the ASEAN Secretariat by a General Secretary of the Communist of Vietnam as a historic milestone, demonstrating ASEAN’s important position in Vietnam’s foreign policy.

The visit is of great significance as 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of Vietnam's ASEAN membership and a decade since the establishment of the ASEAN Community.

Underscoring Vietnam’s important contributions to ASEAN and the ASEAN Community, he said he hopes that Vietnam will continue its leadership role in the bloc.

On behalf of the CPR, Permanent Representative of Malaysia to ASEAN Ambassador Sarah Al Bakri Devadason committed to promoting unity among member countries and collectively building a strong ASEAN Community for regional peace, stability, security, and development.

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