Vietnam is a well-recognized member of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 1995. One of the key priorities of Vietnam’s multifaceted foreign policy is its cooperation with ASEAN and member-states. Vietnam was an ASEAN Chair three times (1998, 2010, and 2020). As an ASEAN Chair, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam proposed a number of different initiatives aimed at ASEAN’s institutional development as well as at strengthening the central role of the Association in the emerging security architecture in the Asia Pacific Region. 

The article makes a comparative analysis of Vietnam's ASEAN agendas in 2010 and 2020. The author concludes that the Vietnams’ ASEAN chairmanship in 2010 was focused on strengthening its position within the organization and aimed at promoting a country’s international image. It also included enhancing cooperation between ASEAN and its dialogue partners, and taking measures to reduce the development gap between ASEAN member-states. However, the COVID-19 pandemic took over the agenda in 2020. 

Nevertheless, Vietnams included such points as the digital economy, ASEAN position in international affairs, and internal reforms of the Association in its recent agenda. It indicates that Vietnam is no longer a “newcomer’ in ASEAN and it intends to strengthen its role in it while finding appropriate solutions to the new challenges.

The author concludes that the key priority of Vietnam is to maintain the Association as a strong, cohesive and effective organization that can face current challenges and adopt to new conditions of the world development. The main goal of ASEAN in Vietnam’s perception is to ensure the regional peace and stability under which small and middle powers can regulate its asymmetric relations with major regional powers and create a favourable environment for economic developments of the individual ASEAN member-states and the whole Southeast Asia region.