17th ASEAN Summit opens in Hanoi

The 17th ASEAN Summit opened in Hanoi on October 28 with the participation of ASEAN countries’ leaders and delegates, representatives from ASEAN’s partners, ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan, and nearly 1,000 domestic and foreign journalists.

With ASEAN’s theme “Towards an ASEAN Community: from Vision to Action”, the Summit will review the cooperation within ASEAN as well as between the bloc with its partners.

Discussions at the event will focus on building an ASEAN Community and implementing the ASEAN Charter, promoting external relations and ASEAN’s centrality in regional cooperation and in the shaping of a new regional structure in the future. Other topic will include ensuring sustainable development, and dealing with global challenges.

On addressing the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung emphasised the significant importance of the Summit to the future development of ASEAN and the region. He also celebrated ASEAN’s advancement forwards as a Community and its operation on the legal basis of the ASEAN Charter.

He expressed his delight at the bloc’s important achievements made in the implementation of plans for building the ASEAN Community in all 3 pillars which are expeditiously undertaken along the defined priorities and roadmaps, bringing important outcomes.

The PM was also pleased with the strong development of relations between ASEAN and its partners this year. He drew attention to the strengthening of regular dialogue at various levels and the important outcomes in carrying out the plans of action to implement joint statements on strategic or comprehensive partnerships.

Mr. Dung proposed focusing on important issues. He said the Summit should continue to identify and carry out comprehensive measures to accelerate the implementation of the programmes and plans to build the ASEAN Community in the most effective manner.

We should make efforts to create a real improvement in the ‘culture of compliance’ through, among others, strengthening the monitoring and assessing mechanisms for the materialisation of agreements, said the PM. He added that ASEAN should also need to complete the full legal framework in line with its Charter, improve the operational efficiency of ASEAN bodies and modalities, strengthen coordination among executing agencies, enhance resources mobilization, and incorporate regional agreements into national development programmes and plans.

According to the Government leader, ASEAN’s external relations should also be further strengthened through concrete plans and measures to support the goal of building the ASEAN Community. Accordingly, the bloc should proactively push up its relations with dialogue partners under the ASEAN+1 framework to a higher level, which should be more comprehensive, substantive and effective. ASEAN should actively put forth proposals and measures to improve the efficiency of the activities within wider cooperation frameworks wherein ASEAN plays the central role such as ASEAN+3, East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus.

Mr. Dung also wanted ASEAN countries to further undertake comprehensive measures to ensure ASEAN centrality in an evolving regional architecture along the line of decisions made at the 16th ASEAN Summit.

In addition, ASEAN needs to further enhance its role as an important force in the maintenance of peace and stability in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific at large by increasing dialogue and cooperation on political-security issues to enhance mutual understanding and trust among nations.

Moreover, ASEAN also needs to strengthen the wide cooperation to address security challenges, particularly non-traditional ones like international terrorism, transnational crime, maritime security and safety, etc.

Finally, he said, ASEAN should act as a responsible member of the international community in responding to the current global challenges, especially the economic-financial crisis, climate change, natural disasters or pandemics, etc.

Mr. Dung said he is confident that with ASEAN’s strong political determination and far-sighted vision as well as the active and valuable contributions from all Leaders of ASEAN and its partner countries, the meetings will be a great success. He looks forward to finding practical solutions to the matters at hands for the common interest of peace, stability and development in the region.

The event will include a variety of activities and related meetings including the 17th ASEAN Summit between ASEAN leaders and the regular ASEAN+1 Summit with its partners such as China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and India, as well as with Russia, Australia, New Zealand and the United Nations; the ASEAN+3 Summit (with China, Japan and the Republic of Korea), and the East Asia Summit, and the Mekong-Japan Summit.

Heads of ASEAN delegations plan to gather in a close meeting after the opening ceremony. – VOV

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