Pakistan Looks to ASEAN, Vietnam as Models for Development

Pakistan is looking to ASEAN countries, particularly Vietnam, as models for its successful transition from an agrarian nation to a dynamic, industrialized economy. This was stated by Pakistan's Minister of Petroleum, Ali Pervaiz Malik, during a working session with ASEAN Ambassadors to Pakistan on July 27. The meeting was part of the annual activities of the ASEAN Committee in Islamabad, attended by Vietnam's Ambassador to Pakistan, Pham Anh Tuan. Minister Malik highly appreciated the growing role and stature of ASEAN, with a population of about 680 million people and a nominal GDP exceeding 4 trillion USD. According to the minister, ASEAN is an important economic and trade partner for Pakistan. Two-way trade between ASEAN and Pakistan exceeded 11 billion USD in 2025, with Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines accounting for about 90% of the turnover. Furthermore, he noted that with a dynamic and diverse ASEAN community, there is significant potential for developing tourism exchanges between Pakistan and ASEAN. At the end of the working session, the Pakistani Minister of Petroleum and the ASEAN Ambassadors to Pakistan witnessed the handover ceremony for the rotating chairmanship of the ASEAN Committee in Islamabad. The chairmanship is held for six months, with the Indonesian Ambassador handing over to the Philippine Ambassador. Shahid Ali Seehar, Director General of the East Asia-Pacific Affairs Division of Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, praised the active role of the ASEAN Committee in Islamabad in recent times. He stated that the committee's diverse activities have contributed to strengthening friendship, cultural exchange, and deepening the understanding of Pakistani people towards ASEAN member countries. Earlier, on July 23, representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy in Pakistan participated in a seminar titled "Reviving the Historical Silk Road: Connecting ASEAN and Pakistan, Unlocking Economic, Tourism, Trade, and Investment Potential." The seminar emphasized the historical significance and importance of the maritime Silk Road, or the Spice Route, in connecting ASEAN countries with South Asia and the Middle East, including Pakistan. It also discussed the importance of current economic-trade partnerships, cultural-tourism exchanges, and people-to-people interactions between Pakistan and ASEAN nations.