Vientiane (VNA) – Vietnam has fulfilled its role asASEAN Chair over the past six months and successfully organised the 36th ASEAN Summit, according to Deputy Foreign Minister and head of the ASEAN SenorOfficials’ Meeting delegation of Laos Thongphane Savanphet.

He made the comment during an interview granted to theVietnam News Agency following the teleconferenced 36th ASEAN Summiton June 26.

The official congratulated Vietnam on its successful organisationof the summit and highly valued the country’s leadership and organisation capacity.

At the event, he noted, ASEAN leaders discussed a number ofissues, especially the prevention, management and response to the spread ofCOVID-19, focusing on how the countries can work with one another to deal withthe pandemic’s impacts.

The leaders scrutinised ways to enhance the ASEAN Community’scohesion in the face of emerging challenges in the region and the world. They agreedto push ahead with realising the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, particularlybuilding the three pillars of politics – security, economy and society – culture,of which under Vietnam’s chairmanship, the bloc is making mid-term reviewsafter five years of implementation.

In response to some countries and regions’ intention tobecome dialogue and development partners of ASEAN, the leaders also paidattention to how to expand the bloc’s relations while still sustaining itssolidarity and centrality.

During the summit, ASEAN leaders also touched upon regionaland international issues of common concern, Thongphane Savanphet said, noting thatalthough the time for these matters was short, the leaders discussed in astraightforward and efficient manner.

For the rest of this year, the Deputy Minister said hiscountry expects Vietnam will continue augmenting the cohesion and strength ofASEAN, especially in implementing different priorities that Vietnam hasprepared, including promoting and protecting regional peace and stability,stepping up the ASEAN Community building, and bolstering the bloc’s relationswith partners.

Besides, boosting post-pandemic socio-economic recovery in theregion is of critical importance as the spread of COVID-19 in many regionalcountries has slowed down, he noted, adding that this is an issue that Vietnam,as ASEAN Chair, should keep bringing into play its coordinating role in.

The Lao official expressed his belief that under Vietnam’schairmanship, ASEAN will continue to successfully carry out the initiatives andagreements its members have put forth this year.

Covering the 36th ASEAN Summit, the Laophattana newspaperof the Lao Journalists Association reported that Prime Minister of Laos ThonglounSisoulith spoke highly of the bloc’s successes in the past year.

He stressed the necessity to continue reinforcingcooperation so as to prevent a second outbreak of COVID-19 via information andexperience sharing, medicine and vaccine development, and comprehensivesocio-economic recovery, according to the paper./.