Hanoi (VNA) ♔– An ASEAN flag hoisting ceremony was held in Hanoi on August 7to mark the 53rd founding anniversary of the association and 25years of Vietnam’s ASEAN membership.

DeputyPrime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh chaired the event, whichalso drew ambassadors of ASEAN member countries to Vietnam and leaders of anumber of ministries and Hanoi. Addressingthe ceremony, Minh underlined that over the past 53 years, ASEAN has made a bigstep forward. By embracing 10 membernations, ASEAN has turned Southeast Asia from a land of discord to a land ofconcord, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamicdevelopment, he said. He noted that through its Community building, ASEANenables Southeast Asia to thrive as a big family of six hundred and fiftymillions people with a combined GDP of 3 trillion USD and as a peaceful, stableand resilient region with dynamic, vibrant economies. The Vietnamese Deputy PM held that the association isfacing major, unprecedented challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemicand the fast changing geo-strategic landscape as well as emergingnon-traditional security issues. “But these are causes to be discouraged. Instead, thesecall for a more cohesive, responsive ASEAN, which retains its firm centralityin the region. The encouraging results achieved in the first half of 2020 beartestament to ASEAN that never wavers at any hardship,” he stated. According to Minh, chairingASEAN this year is a great honour for Vietnam as 2020 coincides with the 25th anniversary of the country accession to ASEAN. Under Vietnam’s Chairmanship, ASEAN has takenwell-coordinated measures to collectively respond to the Covid-19 pandemic,protect the health of our peoples, cushion the negative impacts on oureconomies, and prepare for a comprehensive recovery to emerge from the pandemic,he said. “Although the tough battles to defeat the pandemicand to revamp the economies are still ahead, I would like to emphasize thatASEAN’s future is bright,” he underlined. With the “Think Community, Act Community” approach,Vietnam will continue to work closely with our ASEAN sisters and brothers aswell as with external partners and the international community to build aunited and resilient ASEAN Community. “Shoulder to shoulder, we can rise above any challengesand move ASEAN forward,” the official stressed He revealed that ASEAN Foreign Ministers will issuethe Statement on the importance of maintaining peace and stability in SoutheastAsiaon the ASEAN Day of August 8, 2020. In the context of complex and growing uncertaintiesin the world, this statement will reaffirm ASEAN’s vision, commitments andfundamental principles to build ASEAN into a region of peace, progress andprosperity as aspired in the 1967 Bangkok Declaration, he said. The ASEAN flag has four colours ofblue, red, white and yellow, representing the main colours of the flags of allthe ASEAN members. The stalks of padi in the centre of the Emblem represent thedream of ASEAN’s Founding Fathers for an ASEAN comprising all the countries inSoutheast Asia, bound together in friendship and solidarity. The circle representsthe unity of ASEAN./.