The ASEAN Community and social-labour issues were highlighted at a training conference hosted by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on March 30.

Delegates from the central and Central Highlands regions gained an insight into the ASEAN Political-Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community and respective Master Plan till 2025, the bloc’s political security; trade, commodity and services; social welfares; labour and employment; cooperation in the environment and response to climate change. 

They also looked into the ASEAN mutual recognition arrangements in the services sector and guidelines on building a plan to implement the Project 161/QD-TTg dated January 25, 2017 by the Prime Minister. 

The event offered participants a chance to discuss ASEAN cooperation in the social-labour field as well as propose measures to enhance regional integration in the near future. 

A representative from the Foreign Ministry’s Department of ASEAN Affairs said the ASEAN Vision till 2025 is a product of consensus for common interests of member states. 

According to experts, Vietnam will benefit from a larger labour market, attract more foreign investment and generate new jobs upon joining free trade agreements and the ASEAN Economic Community.  

Workers, particularly skilled ones with foreign language proficiency, are enabled to move freely within the bloc to seek jobs, they said.

VNA