The conference honored welcome Mr. Ibnu Hadi, Ambassador of Republic of Indonesia in Vietnam; Prof. Academician Sum Chhum Bun, Vice President, Royal Academy of Cambodia; Dr. Feuangsy Laofoung, Director of Institute for Economic Studies, Laos National Academy of Social Sciences; Mr. Khin Maung Lynn and Prof. Dr. Khin Maung Nyunt, Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies; Dr. Sidratahta Mukhtar, Lecturer of Political Science, Universitas Kristen Indonesia; Dr. Yukti Mukdawijitra, Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology, Thammasat University, Thailand. Attending the conference were Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Thuan, President of VASS; A. Assoc.Prof.Dr. Le Bo Linh, Deputy Director of the National Assembly Office; delegates and scholars from the assisting units and research institutes of VASS, Hanoi National University, Hanoi University of Education, Hanoi University of Education 2, Diplomatic Academy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In the opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Thuan expressed warmly welcome to all delegates; simultaneously highly apprecited ASEAN’s peak achievements and its historical significance in last time. From the initial steps with only five founding members, ASEAN has evolved and currently become a community for more than 600 million people from 10 countries in Southeast Asia. From a small regional organization which did not attract much attention in international forums, ASEAN has now become a community with a deeper regional and global integration, having capability of mastering its destiny, more mature in politics, stronger in economics, more efficient in institution, and closer in internal relation as well as contributing postively to peace, stability and development of region and the world. Simultaneously, ASEAN is also a harmonious combination of diverse cultures with rich in identity and passion for unification of states living in peace, improved social security and improving people’s living standards. Besides, President of VASS also affirmed that in a currently unstable regional and global environment, there will be tremendous opportunities and challenges for ASEAN in realizing the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, towards “a rule-based, community-centered and people-oriented ASEAN Community”. Therefore, the conference is an important forum to properly evaluate the achievements and limitations, and suggesting effective solutions for the development of a strong ASEAN Community in order to enhance the effectiveness of cooperation with partners, and take a common stance on international and regional issues.
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In the keynote speech, Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang, Director of Institute for Southeast Asian Studies reaffirmed the importance, role and contributions of ASEAN to its member states and to the region and globe has been proved during the last half century, especially the most recent 20 years when ASEAN has fully gathered all ten Southeast Asian nations. The international Conference entitled “ASEAN - 50 Years of Integration and Development” is one in a series of activities of ASEAN’s Golden Jubilee; which had very deep practical and scientific significance, helped us retrospect and discuss the future prospects of this organization. Hence, within the conference framework, Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang expected the scholars and delegates to focus on the following issues:
Firstly, access properly the role of ASEAN through its principles and regulations in promoting its member states’s regional and global intergration, and the integration of ASEAN Community;
Secondly, access ASEAN’s role and position in the region and the world, especially in dealing with regional disputes as well as figuring out ASEAN’s centrality;
Thirdly, access the prospect of ASEAN Community and its roles, especially the implementation of ASEAN Community Vision 2025.
The conferences divided into two sessions, details as following:
Session 1: Chairmen include Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Duy Dung - Institute for Southeast Asian Studies and Prof. Academician Sum Chhhum Bun - Royal Academy of Cambodia. Presenters include Assoc.Prof.Dr. Hoang Khac Nam, University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Hanoi National University; Assoc.Prof.Dr. Yukti Mukdawijitra, Thammasat University, Thailand; Prof.Dr. Khin Maung Nyunt, Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies; Dr. Sidratahta Mukhtar, Universitas Kristen Indonesia (UKI), Jakarta; Assoc.Prof.Dr. Van Ngoc Thanh, National University of Education, Hanoi present topics related to ASEAN’s role and way of developing foreign relations; Neighbour studies: regional approaches to ASEAN; Prospect of ASEAN Community building; The strategic role of ASEAN in fighting ISIS; ASEAN in India’s security-defense policy in Asia-Pacific in the period of 1991-2017.
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Session 2: Chairmen include Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang - Institue for Southeast Asian Studies and Prof.Dr. Khin Maung Nyunt - Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies. Presenters include Dr. Academician Sum Chhum Bun, Vice President of Royal Academy of Cambodia; Mr. Khin Maung Lynn, Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies; Dr. Dinh Hien Luong, Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam; Dr. Feuangsy Laofong, Laos National Academy of Social Sciences; Assoc.Prof.Dr. Tran Khanh, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies analyzed and discussed about topics related to Cambodian Cultural Identity in ASEAN Integration; ASEAN at 50: Success and Issues; China’s Policy toward Southeast Asian Region: Advantage and Challenges; Prospects of realizing ASEAN Community and Vietnam’s policy response.
Besides the speeches, the conference received very open, very constructive ideas. All delegates affirmed that ASEAN had an important role in maintaining the security and peace of the region; ASEAN, however, needed to maintain good neighborly relations among its neighbors and maintain a prudent attitude in relation to large countries. At the same time, in the changing world situation, in order to take advantages of new opportunities, overcome challenges, ASEAN should strongly adjusted the "rules of the game", such as changing the principle of consensus" into principle of "majority"…
The conference successfully ended, boldly the nature of a scientific conference, overcoming the framework of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the organization, with information, materials and views on ASEAN's role, challenges alongside development. The analysis and evaluation of the scholars will provide a more comprehensive view of ASEAN, thereby proposing policy adaptations that are useful for strengthening and improving the ASEAN Community.
Hong Nhung
