Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh chaired a ceremony on July 28 to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of Viet Nam’s entry into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on July 28, 1995, and the bloc’s formation 48 years ago on August 8, 1967.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh takes a photo with guests at the ceremony (Source: VNA)

The Deputy PM said the formation of the ASEAN Community at the end of 2015 will have a significant impact on all member states and the region.

He continued to say that ASEAN, with a population of more than 600 million and the seventh largest GDP in the world, would continue to play an important part in maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the Asian-Pacific region.

As an active member, Viet Nam has contributed to building an ASEAN of close connections, solidarity and unity, and making the group play a central role in the forming regional structure, he added.

(Source: VNA)