Your Majesty, distinguished colleagues,

Your Honorable Mdm Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, President of AIPA-41,

Ladies and gentlemen,
I welcome you to the Closing Ceremony of the 37th ASEAN Summit and
Related Summits.

Being “Cohesive and responsive”, we have overcome the physical gap and
difference in time zone and the format of engagement, and have had very
effective working days. The leaders of ASEAN countries discussed and
adopted a wide range of decisive and concrete measures to advance
cooperation to respond to and triumph over the adversities facing ASEAN,
including the COVID-19 pandemic, maintain the trajectory of cooperation,
and chart new overall courses for the ASEAN Community towards greater
development, so it would truly become the nucleus of the region, with the
people at its heart.

At these Summits, we have also reached an agreement on various

important elements to create a new driver for ASEAN relations with its
partners and reaffirm its strong commitment to multilateral cooperation
and economic connectivity and liberalization. We have shared our
respective views on emerging regional and international issues. It is agreed
that we must maintain and build upon ASEAN centrality, promote dialogue
and cooperation, prevent conflicts, build confidence, and shape a regional
architecture that is open, transparent, inclusive and rules-based.
Ladies and gentlemen,
2020 has been a truly challenging year. We had to contend with an
enormous workload while the COVID-19 pandemic was unfolding in
complex ways. After more than five decades of growth, ASEAN continues to
bear testimony to the power of solidarity, resilience and adaptability
against all adversities.
Numerous important decisions were adopted at the Summits

- The leaders of ASEAN countries adopted (i) the Mid-term Review of the
ASEAN Community Blueprints 2025. We agreed on the necessity to (ii)
review the implementation of the ASEAN Charter, and voiced our
determination to promote subregional cooperation as an integral part of
the ASEAN development process, so that all citizens and all localities are
empowered to contribute to the community. The Summit also adopted the
(iii) Hanoi Declaration on the ASEAN Community's post-2025 Vision, with
the expectation that this would create a solid foundation for the road
ahead of the ASEAN Community.

- With a view to an ASEAN Community with a rich identity, the leaders of

ASEAN endorsed the flying of the ASEAN flag and the use of the ASEAN
anthem; this will bring the image of ASEAN closer to the people and the
public. On this occasion, the Leaders adopted the Narrative of ASEAN
Identity and the Hanoi Declaration on Strengthening Social Work towards
Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN Community. The first-ever ASEAN Women
Leaders' Summit was a valuable opportunity for ASEAN women to make
contributions to the efforts for sustainable development and growth in the
region.

- Many ASEAN initiatives on cooperation in response to COVID-19 and

other risks of epidemics have been announced and under way, such as the
COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund, the ASEAN Regional Reserve of Medical
Supplies for Public Health Emergencies, and the ASEAN Center for Public
Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases. ASEAN also adopted the
ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework and its Implementation Plan,
designed for cohesion across the three Community pillars. This will assist
the people and businesses to overcome the impacts of the pandemic and
restore economic and social stability in our countries.

- In the ongoing effort to expand and deepen relations with its partners,
ASEAN agreed to expand the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation to include
Cuba, Colombia and South Africa. Now 43 countries are party to this
Treaty. The 15th EAS also adopted important Declarations, including the
Declaration on the 15th Anniversary of EAS and the Declaration of APT
Leaders on Strengthening Economic and Financial Resilience in the Face of
Emerging Challenges. This is once again a demonstration of the role and
strength of APT as a framework in preventing and addressing risks of
economic and financial crisis in the region. The conclusion of negotiation
and official signing of the RCEP between ASEAN and its partners is a very
admirable expression of the strong commitment and determination of the
countries in the region in promoting economic liberalization and
connectivity.
Ladies and gentlemen,

Being richly equipped with the experience of 2020 and the years before,
ASEAN can now take confident steps into its sixth decades. This has been a
long journey, both challenging and full of new, emerging opportunities. Let
me take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to the ASEAN
members and partners, international organizations, and other friends of
ASEAN, for your keen support and close cooperation with Viet Nam in our
term as the 2020 ASEAN Chair.

Let me also express my appreciation for the tireless efforts and

contributions by both the ASEAN specialized bodies across the three pillars
and at all levels and the ASEAN Secretariat. Your joint efforts have made
possible the laudable outcomes of ASEAN in this year of great adversities.
The silent efforts behind the scene by the specialized and technical staff is
all the more significant, helping us prevail over the geographical distance
to maintain the stable pace of ASEAN cooperation and discussion.

Above all, I thank you, the peoples of ASEAN member states. Your
contribution, sympathy and support for our Governments have made it
possible for us to overcome so many hardships and challenges and take a
cohesive, resilient and confident ASEAN Community further ahead.

Finally, I thank you, my Vietnamese colleagues from our Ministries and

agencies. You have worked alongside us around the clock to make our
ASEAN Chairmanship a success.
Your Majesty, Ladies and gentlemen,
Viet Nam is fully confident that Brunei Darussalam, as the next ASEAN
chair, will continue to lead ASEAN onwards and forge an ASEAN
Community endowed with a vision for broad connectivity, active
adaptability, comprehensive recovery, and sustainable development.
My best wishes go out to the 2021 ASEAN Chair, Brunei Darussalam.
I declare the closure of the 37th ASEAN Summit and Other Summits with its
Partners.
Thank you. I wish you all health and happiness./.