Hanoi, Dec. 16 -- Vietnam's three-decade contributions to building and shaping ASEAN took center stage at an international conference in Hanoi on December 16, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the country's accession to the bloc.

The gathering drew scholars, experts, officials from advisory and state agencies, diplomats and representatives from domestic and foreign research organisations, providing an academic platform to assess Vietnam's role in ASEAN development while addressing new challenges and cooperation pathways amid global and regional changes.

In his opening speech, President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences Prof. Le Van Loi highlighted Vietnam's transformative ASEAN journey over the past 30 years. From initial ...