Vietnam hosts 12th Meeting of AD HOC Working Group to Develop ASCC Strategic Plan
Hosted by Vietnam’s Ministry of Home Affairs in Hanoi on June 23–24, the 12th Meeting of the AD HOC Working Group to Develop the ASCC Strategic Plan brought together delegates from all ASEAN member states and the ASEAN Secretariat, with a delegation from Timor-Leste attending as an observer. Malaysia and the Philippines co-chaired the event.
Hanoi (VNA)🌼 – A senior official from the Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs has affirmed Vietnam’s strong support and active participation in the implementation of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Strategic Plan.
The 12th Meeting of the AD HOC Working Group to Develop the ASCC Strategic Plan. (Photo: VietnamPlus)
Hosted by Vietnam’s Ministry of Home Affairs in Hanoi on June 23–24, the 12th Meeting of the AD HOC Working Group to Develop the ASCC Strategic Plan🍬 brought together delegates from all ASEAN member states and the ASEAN Secretariat, with a delegation from Timor-Leste attending as an observer. Malaysia and the Philippines co-chaired the event.
In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang welcomed participants and congratulated the Working Group and the ASEAN Senior Officials Committee for the ASCC (SOCA) on the completion of the ASCC Strategic Plan, which was recently endorsed by ASEAN leaders alongside the political-security, economic, and connectivity strategies under the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
Thang emphasised that the adoption of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its four strategic plans reflect the region’s proactive approach in an increasingly complex global environment. These strategic documents, he said, build upon ASEAN’s achievements, uphold its core values, and create new opportunities for intra-bloc and external cooperation.
Deputy Minister Thang affirmed that the ministry would actively support and engage in the implementation of the ASCC Strategic Plan and specific tasks assigned to the Working Group.
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang speaks at the event (Photo: VietnamPlus)
At the meeting, Co-Chairs Dr Christina Yeo Ken Yin from Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and Mike Mohen A. Padilla from the Philippines’ Department of Social Welfare and Development extended their appreciation to the Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs and to the Australia for ASEAN Futures Initiative (Aus4ASEAN Futures) for their support in organising the 12th meeting.
They recalled that during the 11th meeting, held earlier this year, the Working Group had successfully developed a preliminary draft of the KPI Development Guidelines. Building on that progress, the 12th meeting aimed to further refine the ASCC Results Framework and the detailed communication plans.
Over the two-day meeting, Working Group members discussed communication plans to promote the ASCC Strategic Plan, measures to enhance its monitoring and evaluation based on the ASCC 2025 Guidelines, and mapping existing sectoral monitoring and evaluation systems.
They also reviewed the post-2025 Results Framework roadmap, with a focus on KPIs proposed by ASCC sectoral bodies.
Delegates take part in discussions during the two-day meeting held on June 23–24 in Hanoi. (Photo: VietnamPlus)
Building on the outcomes of the 11th meeting, the Working Group discussed lessons learned from monitoring and evaluating the ASCC Blueprint 2025, using them as key inputs for developing the Results Framework.
The meeting also reviewed specific KPIs proposed for sectoral strategic measures by ASCC sectoral bodies, and discussed the draft guidelines on KPI development, stressing the importance of aligning sectoral work plans with related strategic actions and ensuring consistency with the overarching goals of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045./.
The minister also stated that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is also increasingly recognised as a peaceful region with a strong and growing economy.
ASEAN’s stance is to continue pursuing constructive engagement and negotiation with the US, he said, adding member states could hold bilateral negotiations at the same time.
Deputy PM and FM Bui Thanh Son, on behalf of ASEAN countries, commended the strong and substantive growth in the ASEAN-New Zealand partnership over the past 50 years and supported elevating it to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership this year.
Addressing the meeting, Party General Secretary To Lam expressed his pleasure at meeting a large number of Vietnamese living and working in the RoK, acknowledging and appreciating their efforts in contributing to the growing Vietnam–RoK partnership.
He also welcomed the “Vietnam Private Sector Panorama” as a platform for dialogue, awareness-raising, and inspiring a wealth-creation movement, emphasising that it must deliver tangible results.
During a meeting on August 10 in Seoul with 100 representatives from the RoK’s intellectuals, associations, people’s organisations, businesses, and non-governmental organisations operating in Vietnam, Party General Secretary To Lam expressed his gratitude to Korean friendship, economic, cultural associations, universities, research institutes, individuals, and NGOs for their significant contributions to nurturing the Vietnam–RoK relationship.
Party General Secretary To Lam met with Chairman of the Republic of Korea (RoK)–Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group Ahn Gyu-back in Seoul on August 10 as part of his state visit to the RoK.
The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee is scheduled to convene its 48th session on August 11-13, with August 14-15 set as a backup date, according to the NA Office.
Vietnam’s Ambassador to Brazil and Bolivia Bui Van Nghi has led an embassy delegation to attend official events marking the 200th anniversary of Bolivia’s Independence Day.
Party General Secretary To Lam met with members of the Vietnam Innovation Network in Korea (VINK) and Vietnamese experts living and working in the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Seoul on August 10 as part of his state visit to the RoK.
In an interview with Korean media on the occasion of Party General Secretary To Lam’s state visit to the RoK, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son affirmed that the visit demonstrates Vietnam’s strong resolve to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the RoK, with the aim of fostering greater political trust, closer strategic coordination, more substantive and comprehensive cooperation, and stronger bonds of friendship between the two countries' people.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is also a Politburo member and Secretary of the Government Party Committee, attended the 4th Party Congress of the EVN Party Organisation for the 2025–2030 tenure on August 10, directing EVN to ensure power supply to meet the country’s development demands with double-digit growth set for the coming years.
Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, along with a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam arrived in Seongnam Air Base in Seoul on August 10 afternoon (local time), beginning a state visit to the Republic of Korea from August 10-13.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly departed from Hanoi on August 10 morning for a four-day state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK), which is made at an invitation of RoK President Lee Jae Myung.
As part of the ASEAN Day celebrations, the Vietnamese embassy will also host the ASEAN Family Day 2025 in Ottawa to foster solidarity and community spirit among ASEAN members in Canada.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
