Professor Carl Thayer during an interview with a VNA journalist in Australia.
Professor Carl Thayer stressed that Secretary-General and President To Lam is still seen as “a man with a mission”, saying that strengthening national defense and security, combined with promoting foreign relations and international integration constitutes a crucial and ongoing task. According to Professor Carl Thayer’s observations, the unstable global security environment, while posing many challenges, also offers Vietnam a significant opportunity.
With the fundamental pillars of foreign policy – diversification and multilateralism – already firmly established, Secretary-General and President To Lam’s renewed emphasis on economic development, Defense and foreign relations require closer international cooperation to achieve the goal of an independent and autonomous economy. Furthermore, the current fluctuations and instability of the global order reinforce the need to promote deeper and more diversified international integration, highlighting the structural risks linked to excessive dependence on a single partner.
Professor Carl Thayer pointed out that, along with its growing economic influence, Vietnam has strengthened its position in favor of international law and its fundamental belief in the sovereign equality of nations. These values are widely shared in the region and are reflected in the Indo-Pacific Vision of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In his capacity as Secretary-General and President, To Lam actively translated these common principles into concrete partnerships, overseeing the establishment or strengthening of new comprehensive strategic partnerships, including with Malaysia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the Union European Union (EU) – all supporting the principles of the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Vision and similar frameworks.
Professor Carl Thayer said Vietnam has the opportunity to further strengthen its leadership position within ASEAN, cooperate with its partners and demonstrate that the country is and will remain “a friend, a reliable partner and an active and responsible member of the international community.”
THANH TU
Source : https://baocantho.com.vn/hoc-gia-uc-viet-nam-ap-dung-chinh-sach-doi-ngoai-chu-dong-trong-thoi-diem-then-chot-a206035.html
