ASEAN Secretary General calls for member states to balance short-term and long-term interests
(VOVWORLD) -ASEAN’s cooperation vision until 2025 offers plenty of opportunities for the community to enhance comprehensive development, international integration, self-reliance, and global influence, said ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh.
 ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh |
At an interview with Voice of Vietnam on the occasion of ASEAN’s 50th anniversary, Minh said the bloc will have to solve numerous challenges including legal and development gaps between member states:
“Differences in the legal system between ASEAN countries have made it difficult to enforce shared commitments and agreements, hindering the bloc’s efforts to build a law-based community. The development gap within ASEAN also makes it hard for less developed countries to promote inclusive development which aims to benefit all ASEAN citizens,” he explained.
Minh said other challenges include poor public understanding of the ASEAN Community and unilateral acts in the East Sea that violate international law. He suggested that ASEAN speed up harmonizing national legal systems and balance the short-term interest of each nation with the long-term benefit of the whole community. Minh said it is essential to raise public awareness of the ASEAN Community and uphold their central role in seeking solutions to disputes, particularly in the East Sea, with respect for international law.