25 years of joining ASEAN: Vietnam is on the path of integration

Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam (second, right), ASEAN Secretary General and ASEAN Foreign Ministers at a meeting to admit Vietnam to become the seventh official member of ASEAN, July 28, 1995, Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) (Photo: VNA)

Flag-raising ceremony on July 28, 1995 afternoon, Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) (Photo: VNA)

US Secretary of State Warren Christopher and Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam sign a protocol, officially establishing the Vietnam-US diplomatic relations, in Hanoi, August 5, 1995 (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam plays an active role in accelerating the admission of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar to become ASEAN members. In photo: Foreign Ministers of ASEAN countries and General Secretary of ASEAN at the Admission Ceremony of Laos and Myanmar to become official members of ASEAN, 23 July, 1997, in Subang Jaya (Malaysia) (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam successfully hosted the sixth ASEAN Summit. This is the first time the country hosoted an ASEAN event since joining the bloc. In photo: Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and heads of ASEAN delegations sign the Hanoi Declaration at the 6th ASEAN Summit, Hanoi, 15-16 December, 1998 (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Phan Van Khai (centre) and ASEAN leaders pose for a group photo at the Closing Ceremony of the 6th ASEAN Summit, Hanoi, December 15-16, 1998 (Photo:VNA)

Vice President, Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam and ASEAN Foreign Ministers at the Admission Ceremony of Cambodia as the 10th member of ASEAN, Hanoi, April 30, 1999 (Photo: VNA)

Joining ASEAN helps Vietnam integrate deeper into the world. In photo: Trade Minister Vu Khoan and US Trade Representative, Charlene Barshefsky, sign the Vietnam-US Trade Agreement, July 13, 2000, in Washington DC (Photo: VNA)

ASEAN and China sign the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) during the 8th ASEAN Summit, 4-5 November 2002 Phnom Penh (Cambodia). The signing of the document is the result of efforts of ASEAN countries, especially the 4 countries directly involved in the disputes in Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago (Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei) in maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea (Photo: VNA)

Joining ASEAN helps increase other countries’ trust in Vietnam. In photo: Vietnam successfully organises many important events including the 5th Asia-Europe Summit (ASEM 5), October 8-9, 2004 in Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and senior leaders of ASEAN member nations attend the Kuala Lumpur Declaration signing ceremony on developing ASEAN Charter. December 12, 2005, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and senior leaders of ASEAN member nations attend the Kuala Lumpur Declaration signing ceremony on developing ASEAN Charter. December 12, 2005, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Photo: VNA)

In the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem, WTO Director General Pascal Lamy awards documents on the admission of Vietnam to become the 150th official member of the WTO to Vietnam Trade Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen, 7 November 2006, at the WTO headquarters in Geneva (Switzerland) (Photo: AFP /VNA)