Vietnam will support and work closely with Brunei as Chair of ASEAN in 2021 so as to successfully realise set targets and initiatives, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said 

2020 is really a special year for Vietnam as for the first time in its diplomacy history, the country assumed both rotating ASEAN Chair and non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC), according to the Sputnik news agency of Russia.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc spoke with his Thai counterpart Prayut Chan-o-cha by phone on November 6 on bilateral ties and regional cooperation ahead of the 37th ASEAN Summit.

EU Ambassador to ASEAN Igor Driesmans has hailed Vietnam for successfully hosting the 36th ASEAN Summit by overcoming some truly unprecedented challenges.

By successfully organising the teleconferenced 36th ASEAN Summit amid complex developments of COVID-19, Vietnam has once again affirmed its proactive and responsible chairmanship of ASEAN in 2020, 

Leaders of ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) are set to convene a teleconferenced dialogue on June 26, 

The 28th meeting of the Senior Officials’ Committee for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (SOCA) was held via video conference under the chair of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) on June 22.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh and Minister of Finance and Economy of Brunei Dato Amin Abdullah on June 10 affirmed that the countries will continue close cooperation 

Vietnam, performing its roles as the ASEAN Chair in 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, will continue boosting cooperation in sustainable development for the goal of building a cohesive and responsive ASEAN, 

This year, the Chairmanship of ASEAN has been taken up by Vietnam, which is its third time since the country joined ASEAN 25 years ago. 

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc on May 20 reported on the anti-COVID-19 work and key solutions for socio-economic recovery and development, calling for joint concerted efforts and high resolve to weather difficulties and perform tasks as best as possible.

Faced with the negative impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on regional and global economies, including interruptions to supply chains, ASEAN countries are making greater efforts to recover

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngoc and diplomats of other ASEAN countries recently took part in the first teleconference of the ASEAN Committee in Washington DC (ACW).

China’s announcement of establishing the so-called “Xisha district” (Vietnam’s Hoang Sa -Paracel - archipelago) and “Nansha district” (Vietnam’s Truong Sa - Spratly - archipelago) within the new “Sansha city” will escalate tensions in the region.

As ASEAN Chair in 2020, Vietnam has played an active role in leading joint efforts between regional countries to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Hoang Thi Ha from the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Swedish counterpart Stefan Löfven discussed cooperation in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and enhancing the two countries’ relations during phone talks on April 15.

Leaders of the ASEAN nations and the partner countries of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ASEAN+3) discuss measures and initiatives during online special summits on April 14 aimed at further enhancing cooperation in the COVID-19 fight

Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has written an article on ASEAN cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, in which he described solidarity as the grouping’s strength in the combat.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired a national teleconference between the Government and localities on April 10 to discuss solutions for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.