Kuala Lumpur (VNA) - Vietnam has been a highly responsible and enthusiasticmember of ASEAN in the past 25 years since its membership of the bloc, Dr. Munir Majid, Chairmanof ASEAN Business Advisory Council Malaysia (ASEAN-BAC Malaysia) has said.

In a recent interview granted to Malaysia-based correspondents of the VietnamNews Agency on the occasion of the 53rd founding anniversary ofASEAN, Munir,who is also Chairman of CIMB ASEAN Research Institute, and President ofthe ASEAN Business Club in Malaysia, stressed that as the Chair ofASEAN 2020, Vietnam has responsibly led the group to overcome currentdifficulties, and truly showed that it respects its role as an ASEAN member.

The theme “Cohesive and Responsive” that Vietnam introduced is so apposite inthe current situation, especially in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 crisisthat the world is in, he said.

Regarding achievements of the association over the last 53 years, Munir said theachievement of peace and stability in the region which is the foundation of ASEAN’sprosperity is the most important of the bloc.

ASEAN also affirmed its central position and role in resolving regional issueswhen the grouphas been the platform and organiser of cooperative, meetings,dialogues and forums with the participation of its partner countries.

Munir also mentioned measures to strengthening andmaintaining intra-bloc solidarity, saying that ASEAN must speak with a singlevoice and be active in discussions at forums, particularly where its interestsare at stake - such as the maintenance of peace and stability in the region andan open world economy.

On the one hand, ASEAN member countries need to continue their efforts tocontrol the COVID-19 pandemic, on the other hand it must reopen the economy,restore production, and overcome effects caused by the pandemic, he said.

The Malaysian expert called on the ASEAN member countries to act as a unitedbloc to sustain and restart the economies.

The bloc must act to maintain more future growth in the regional market, while promotingpractically regional economic integration, he went on.

According to Munir, the COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented crisis that issweeping across the globe, and ASEAN cannot operate in a business-as-usualmanner.

This is why the ASEAN Business Advisory Council and the Joint Business Councilshave proposed the establishment of a High-Level Special Commission, comprisedof the right-hand men of ASEAN leaders, to make decisions fast, to get the blocto be more “responsive and cohesive”, as is the theme under Vietnam’schairmanship, he said./.