From April 23-24, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh led a high level Vietnamese delegation to attend the ASEAN Leaders' Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia. This is the first foreign trip of the Prime Minister and he has stated that tightening and strengthening solidarity and cooperation with ASEAN member states is a top priority for Vietnam.

This mission contributes to enhancing the central role and position of ASEAN in solving arising challenges, creating a peaceful and favorable environment for sustainable development. 

This mission also affirms that Vietnam is making efforts to contribute to the process of building the ASEAN Community, sustaining Vietnam's ASEAN Chairmanship performance in the year 2020; underlining Vietnam's commitment, responsibility, and active participation in regional and global concerns.

From the beginning of 2021, the ASEAN Leaders Meeting will take place. Because of the long-term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the political, security, and socioeconomic situation in the world and in the region remains unstable and unpredictable; Although the development of a vaccine is opening new possibilities. There is still a lot of strategic competition between major countries while non-traditional security issues continue to be a major concern. In several areas, including Myanmar, political unrest occurred.

ASEAN agreed to host the ASEAN Leaders' Meeting after much discussion and debate to talk about the state of community building and the response to the Covid-19 outbreak as well as ASEAN's external relations and regional challenges, such as Myanmar's position… 

Following the success of the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020, Vietnam and ASEAN member nations will continue to promote regional concerns and priorities in 2021, contributing actively and positively to regional and international challenges.

Accordingly, continuing to implement the results of the ASEAN Year 2020, on the basis of the Hanoi Declaration on the Vision of the ASEAN Community 2025 which was agreed at the 37th ASEAN Summit (November 2020), the draft Terms of Reference of the High-Level Task Force on Building the ASEAN Community Vision after 2025 and also the ASEAN Community Vision Roadmap after 2025 were mostly agreed upon by ASEAN countries. These two papers are scheduled to be accepted during the ASEAN Joint Consultative Meeting in May 2021. During the assessment of the ASEAN Charter's implementation, the countries agreed to expedite the process, with the goal of completing it by 2021.

As Chairman of the Task Force on the ASEAN Integration Initiative, Vietnam has sent countries to draft the process of organizing the ASEAN Dialogue on narrowing the development gap between sub-regions for comprehensive recovery and sustainable development. Vietnam's proposal is welcomed by ASEAN countries.

As part of the initiative to promote the ASEAN Community's common identity, image, and values, Vietnam is also completing internal procedures to hang the ASEAN flag alongside the Vietnamese flag at government agency headquarters.

Concerning initiatives to respond to COVID-19, the ASEAN overall recovery framework is currently being actively implemented; by the end of March 2021, 22 out of 184 initiatives had been completed, 82 are being implemented (of which 59 are partially completed), and 21 will not be implemented in 2021. The ASEAN Secretariat is looking for people to work on the Task Force to monitor, evaluate, coordinate, and mobilize resources for ACRF implementation.

The ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund is currently supported by 14 countries, totaling 16.5 million USD. Countries are discussing using 10.5 million USD from this fund to purchase vaccines for ASEAN Secretariat staff and member countries. ASEAN medical supplies reserve stock (RRMS) was also agreed upon by ASEAN countries to continue contributing based on compliance with international medical supply regulations.

ASEAN countries select the host country for the ASEAN Center for Response to Emergencies, Health Emergencies, and Epidemic Diseases (AC-PHEED); and complete the final steps to approve the Center's establishment project details (design, financial regulations, organizational structure...).

In terms of the ASEAN Travel Corridor Agreement Framework (ATCAF), all countries confirmed at the first meeting of the ATCAF Working Group that they would work together to complete the ATCAF on time. ASEAN countries are holding internal discussions on the first draft of the ASEAN Travel Corridor Framework and preparing for the Task Force's Second Meeting.

In addition to attending the Conference with ASEAN Leaders, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is expected to have bilateral meetings with leaders of ASEAN countries to promote diplomatic relations and exchange views on issues of mutual interest.