The UAE Ambassador to Vietnam attended a ceremony in Hanoi on Tuesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, and 22 years since Vietnam’s accession to the bloc.

Khaled Shuhail attended the event which was chaired by the Vietnamese Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

In his speech during the ceremony, the Prime Minister highlighted the bloc's great achievements over 50 years and the association's leading role in enhancing cooperation between ASEAN countries, the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

He also added that since joining the association, it has become one of the main pillars of Vietnam's foreign policy, which is always seeking further integration with member nations to realise the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 to achieve common development and maintain peace and stability in the region.

The ceremony was attended by a number of senior state officials, heads of diplomatic missions accredited to Vietnam, and representatives of international and regional organisations.