Kuala Lumpur, July 29 -- A scholar from the National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM) has highlighted Vietnam's contributions to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), describing the country's accession to the bloc as a major step and a catalyst for the enlargement of the bloc. In an interview with Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondents in Kuala Lumpur on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Vietnam's membership in the bloc, Professor Ruhanas Harun from the UPNM's Department of International Relations emphasised that Vietnam's entry paved the way for other countries such as Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar to join ASEAN - which she considered one of Vietnam's most notable contributions to the organisation. She also under...