Hanoi (VNA) – As Vietnam marks 30 years of membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on July 28, New Zealand’s Ambassador to Vietnam Caroline Beresford praised the country’sไ pivotal contributions to regional unity and global economic integration in a recent interview with Vietnam News Agency.

Since joining ASEAN in 1995, Vietnam has emerged as a key player in uniting the bloc and deepening its ties with external partners, Beresford said. Its brainchild, the ASEAN Future Forum (AFF), has quickly become a leading strategic dialogue platform for shaping the bloc’s outlook, bringing together leaders, scholars, business and civil society representatives. The forum, she noted, exemplifies Vietnam’s commitment and proactive spirit in promoting dialogue and cooperation with partners. Beresford tied Vietnam’s efforts to ASEAN’s current priorities under the ASEAN Community Vision 2045: ‘Our Shared Future’, which envisions a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific with ASEAN at its core - a goal New Zealand strongly backs. Speaking on Vietnam’s role in strengthening ASEAN-New Zealand relations and ASEAN’s engagement with other partners, Beresford pointed to Vietnam’s considerable contributions. As ASEAN Chair in 2010, Vietnam hosted the second ASEAN-New Zealand Summit in Hanoi. A decade later, during its 2020 ASEAN Chairmanship, Vietnam overcame the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic to successfully hold the ASEAN-New Zealand Leaders’ Commemorative Summit virtually marking the 45th anniversary of their dialogue relations, paving the way for the launch of negotiations to upgrade the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) in early 2021. She also hailed Vietnam’s close coordination in the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between New Zealand and ASEAN, expected by the end of 2025, a milestone in the 50-year ASEAN-New Zealand relationship. Expressing commitment to deepening engagement with Southeast Asia, Beresford wished to continue upholding effective cooperation with ASEAN in trade, economic integration, maritime security, education-training, peace initiatives, and knowledge-sharing with future business leaders. She expressed particular anticipation for the upcoming ASEAN-New Zealand Young Business Leaders Initiative (YBLI) Summit to be held in Da Nang and Hue, which will bring together 120 young entrepreneurs from both sides. Congratulating Vietnam on three decades of ASEAN membership, the ambassador noted the country’s remarkable economic progress. Since joining ASEAN in 1995, its GDP has ballooned 20-fold, placing it among the world’s 40 largest economies, she said. With its dynamic development, status as a manufacturing hub, and network of 17 free trade agreements, including those with ASEAN and New Zealand, Vietnam is emerging as a key driver of global and regional economic integration. Beresford underlined the country’s growing influence, particularly as it prepares to assume key regional leadership roles: Chair of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Commission in 2026 and host of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (APEC) in 2027. She expected that Vietnam would continue to play a vital role in shaping ASEAN’s strategic directions and contributing to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. She stressed Vietnam’s potential to steer the region toward digital transformation, green growth, and enhanced connectivity, building on its strengths as a young, dynamic, tech-savvy, and industrious nation. New Zealand remains committed to partnering with Vietnam and ASEAN on this shared journey of cooperation and progress, she concluded./.