ASEAN celebrates 40th anniversary

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung makes a speech at the ceremony to celebrate the 40th anniversary of ASEAN.

ASEAN has become a very successful regional grouping, which has enjoyed dynamic development and close co-operation with major countries and organisations in the world over the last 40 years, according to a statement by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

Dung made the remarks at a ceremony in Ha Noi yesterday celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with the theme One ASEAN at the Heart of Dynamic Asia.

The Prime Minister spoke of improvements in ASEAN’s strength and position in the world as the grouping has expanded to include all 10 Southeast Asian nations, helping to "consolidate regional peace, stability and prosperity, promote co-operation and linkages among ASEAN member states, enhance its position in the international arena and create premises for strong development in the future."

At present, ASEAN is working to create a legal foundation for its latest stage of development, the establishment of the ASEAN Community to promote the association’s goals to be an economic, security and socio-cultural community. By 2015, ASEAN aims to build the Community — "A Concert of Southeast Asian Nations Bonded Together in a Community of Caring Societies."

"To increase ASEAN integration, bridging the gap among its members continues to be an extremely crucial and urgent task," Dung said in the ceremony.

He also emphasised the "need for the association to improve its operational modality so that its co-operation will be more practical and effective."

Since joining the association in 1995, Viet Nam’s participation has been a testimony to the wise policy pursued by the Party and State, he said.

"Through ASEAN co-operation, Viet Nam has continued to consolidate a peaceful and stable external environment, expand co-operation with regional countries, particularly in the economic and trade areas, increase the country’s position and create premises for deeper integration into the regional and world economy," Dung said.

He stated that Viet Nam had also made important contributions to the strengthening of ASEAN’s unity and the promotion of co-operation among its members as well as between ASEAN and its dialogue partners.

"Promotion of friendship and co-operation within ASEAN continues to be a priority in our foreign policy of multilateralisation and diversification," he said. "The Government and people of Viet Nam will try their best to build a more cohesive and stronger ASEAN, making friendly relations between and among ASEAN members, both bilaterally and within multilateral frameworks, closer and more effective."

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, who chaired the ceremony, said that 40 years ago, ASEAN was established with the aim of promoting economic growth, social advancement and regional culture as well as building a peaceful and prosperous Southeast Asian nations’ bloc.

The association has achieved a great deal toward those aims during the last four decades, making significant contributions to maintaining peace and stability as well as fostering co-operation in the region, he said.

Speaking at the ceremony, Singapore’s ambassador to Viet Nam, Lim Thuan Kuan, said that ASEAN had not only survived these 40 years but had become a family of 10 Southeast Asian countries.

On the historic occasion of the 40th anniversary in November, the ASEAN leaders will meet in Singapore for the 13th ASEAN Summit where the ASEAN Charter will be adopted. According to Kuan, it will be a "landmark document," and a "way to secure ASEAN’s place in the world and a brighter future for all our peoples."

"It seeks to transform ASEAN into a more effective organisation where commitments are honoured and obligations fulfilled," he said. "Building an ASEAN Community is an endeavour that requires strong commitment, hard work and common resolve. We are already moving in this direction, but more needs to be done."

Attending the ceremony were ambassadors of ASEAN countries and dialogue partner countries, as well as representatives of international organisations in Ha Noi.

Creating community

A workshop on the ASEAN community was held by the Viet Nam Social Science Institute in Ha Noi on August 7, as part of a series of activities to mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of ASEAN.

According to Vietnamese delegates attending the event, Viet Nam should create measures to implement the framework agreement on the 11 priority fields for integration.

They also agreed that Viet Nam should uphold its role in the implementation of the Initiatives for ASEAN Integration, as well as development programmes for the sub-Mekong region and the east-west corridor, in order to narrow development gaps among ASEAN member countries and promote regional economic co-operation.

Cultural exchanges between Viet Nam and regional countries should be increased to raise the level of ASEAN awareness among the people of ASEAN countries, delegates agreed.

Workshop participants also suggested countries in the community pay greater attention to boosting co-operation in security and defense to increase confidence and minimise the risk of regional conflicts.

(Source: VNS )