The 2nd Forum of Entities Associated with ASEAN convenes in
Jakarta, Indonesia on October 15. (Photo: VNA)
The forum aimed to encourage discussion on future projects and enhance
collaboration between the entities and ASEAN sectorial bodies and among the
entities themselves in order to strengthen the regional integration efforts.
It was also an opportunity to discuss the ASEAN sectorial bodies’ workplans and
ASEAN centres’ focus, aims and challenges towards the realisation of the ASEAN
Vision 2025.
"This may help form ideas of which areas of work to tap into, as well as
insights on how to align your own workplan with the ASEAN Vision 2025. This is
important because the realization of the ASEAN Vision 2025 cannot be done by
the governments alone. More bottom-up approaches and initiatives should be
cultivated in line with commitments from the top,” said Secretary General of
ASEAN Lim Jock Hoi in his welcome remarks at the event.
"We all play a valuable role in strengthening our ASEAN Community (…) I think
all of us here share the wish to bring positive impacts to our fellow ASEAN
citizens,” he added.
Director of the ASEAN Secretariat’s Community Affairs Directorate Lee Yoong
Yoong said the forum is among projects for the ASEAN Community that provides a
good opportunity to forge a better understanding of culture, society and
economy of ASEAN member states.
Le Nguyen Tue Hang, Vice Provost of Duy Tan University from Vietnam, noted her
university is one of five universities co-founding the "Passage to ASEAN
(P2A),” offering regional students a chance to meet and get to know each
other’s cultures.
Every year, the Passage to ASEAN hosted hundreds of exchanges between 82
universities within the P2A network, she said, adding that students could
explore the culture of the host country and had an internship opportunity at a
business in an ASEAN member nation.
At the forum, participants shared their experience, including collaboration
with stakeholders, within and outside ASEAN, discussed updates and priorities
of the ASEAN Community, and promote a broader engagement of entities in realising
ASEAN Community Vision.
Source: VNA