Hanoi, (VNA) - Vietnamfully supports Singapore as chair of ASEAN in 2018 and will coordinate with thecountry as well as other ASEAN members to push forward priorities andinitiatives of ASEAN this year for further progress in building the ASEANCommunity, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung said.

On the occasion of the Lunar NewYear, the Deputy Foreign Minister talked to the press about Vietnam’sparticipation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2018.

Deputy FM Dung said at itsmilestone of the 50th founding anniversary, ASEAN needs to renewitself on the basis of achievements over the past half a century.

“In 2018, there is greatexpectation for ASEAN under the chair of Singapore, one of the most developedcountries in the region,” he said, adding that Singapore is believed to becapable of leading ASEAN on the right track and making new breakthroughs.

The diplomat stressed thatSingapore has set the theme for the year as Resilient and Innovative, towardsthe goals of promoting and maintaining a rule-based regional order in order tobetter respond to emerging security challenges, promote economic integration andenhance regional connectivity, thus turning ASEAN into a dynamic place forpeople to live, work and entertain.

According to the deputy FM,ASEAN countries support those initiatives as they suit the development leveland requirements of ASEAN.

Deputy FM Dung noted that Vietnamwill take up the role as chair of ASEAN in 2020, following Thailand in 2019. Oneadvantage for Vietnam is that the country can make use of the impetus createdin the previous terms of Singapore and Thailand, he said, adding that at thesame time, Vietnam will face pressure from great expectations.

Therefore, in order to fulfillthe role of ASEAN Chair, Vietnam should make careful preparations well inadvance.

In this spirit, Deputy PrimeMinister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh recently chaired a conference onASEAN pillar communities to clarify outstanding problems and directions toimprove the effectiveness of Vietnam’s participation in ASEAN.

The first and foremost task isto enhance awareness about participation in ASEAN, so that all ministries andsectors consider it their own mission, thus taking up a more proactive attitudetoward the regional bloc, Deputy FM Dung said.

At the same time, Vietnam should continuefine-tuning institutions and apparatus for ASEAN work, improve the coordinationamong ministries, sectors, local administrations and the business community,and invest more in resources for the work, in order to make greatercontribution to the ASEAN Community while protecting the country’s owninterests and priorities.

“We have had a firm foundationin the ASEAN, and we will do our utmost to succeed in our term as ASEAN Chair,thus helping ASEAN make further strides forward while enhancing our position,”Deputy FM Dung said. -VNA