The recent establishment of the National ASEAN 2020 Committee is one of the initial steps that Vietnam has taken for months to prepare for the task of the ASEAN Chair in 2020, said Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung.

The 29-member committee is assigned to help the PM direct, supervise, coordinate, and guide the ministries, offices and localities to work in the fields related to the preparations for and implementation of the role, Dung, who is also General Secretary of the committee, said on the sidelines of the committee’s launch ceremony on December 24 in Hanoi. 

It plans to convene nine periodical meetings between now and the end of December 2020, along with unscheduled meetings if necessary.

Commenting on the responsibilities and opportunities that Vietnam will see when taking the ASEAN Chair task in 2020, the official said that Vietnam must work to maintain the ASEAN growth and promote the building of a stronger ASEAN Community.

At the same time, Vietnam should take the guiding role to build an ASEAN with strong intra-bloc solidarity and enhanced position and prestige in the region with contributions to global processes, he said.

Deputy FM Dung also highlighted that the ASEAN Chair position in 2020 is also a chance for Vietnam to show its capacity as the host of the year, while introducing the nation to regional and international friends.-VNA