Towards an ASEAN Community From Vision to Action

Towards an ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Community: From Vision to Action is the topic that Vietnam has chosen for its ASEAN chairmanship year (2010) and has been supported by all ASEAN member countries. Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Gia Khiem said that this topic reflects the demands and core of the cooperation among ASEAN countries as well as Vietnam’s wish to concretize ASEAN commitments and determination to accomplish ASEAN community construction targets in 2015.

Significance of Vietnam’s ASEAN chairmanship year

ASEAN countries alternatively act as the ASEAN chairman and Vietnam was chosen to perform this chairmanship from January 1 to December 31, 2010. This is an event of great significance for Vietnam, as 2010 is the first year of the ASEAN community construction schedule, a transition period in which the ASEAN Charter and a new structure and operational mode of ASEAN are to be put into use, a year when Vietnam celebrates its 15th ASEAN membership anniversary, and a year when Vietnam’s capital of Hanoi celebrates its 1,000th anniversary and Vietnam prepares for the 11th National Congress of its Communist Party.

As the ASEAN chairman, Vietnam will be hosting a variety of major events in 2010. Vietnam will also be acting as the chairman of the Asian Inter-Parliament Association (AIPA) while hosting the 31st AIPA in 2010.

ASEAN chairmanship performance is a great honor and a big responsibility for Vietnam. If Vietnam is successful, it will improve its position on the international arena; contribute to strengthening cooperation among ASEAN economies and the development of ASEAN community as a whole.

During his recent visit to Vietnam, ASEAN General Secretary Surin Pitsuwan said that the ASEAN chairman should play an important role in promoting ASEAN in global forums. He said that he believes that Vietnam will raise the ‘ASEAN banner’ in these forums in 2010. As the ASEAN chairman, Vietnam will be joining meetings of the Group of 20 (G20).

Vietnam is well prepared for the role of ASEAN chairmanship since early 2009. It established a national committee for 2010 ASEAN chairmanship performance, whose members include leaders from different ministries, sectors and localities. The committee and its sub-committees have been working hard and have basically completed preparations and are beginning concrete actions to take on the task of the 2010 ASEAN chairmanship from early 2010.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that he believes that with a good sense of responsibility and dynamism, Vietnam will succeed in fulfilling the tasks of the 2010 ASEAN chairmanship year, contribute to strengthening ASEAN cooperation, continue realizing ASEAN community construction targets, and expand and deepen cooperative relations between ASEAN and partners, through which to improve the role and position of Vietnam and ASEAN as a whole on the international arena.

Tags: Vietnam asean cooperation