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Vietnamese PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng (center) and ASEAN Economic Ministers at the 42nd Meeting of the ASEAN Economic Ministers, Đà Nẵng, August 25, 2010 – Photo: VGP/Nhật Bắc
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The opening session drew the attendance of Vietnamese PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng, ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan, Economic Ministers as well as heads of delegations from ASEAN member states and the bloc’s partners like China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Russia, India, the EU, Australia, and New Zealand.
Under the theme “ASEAN Economic Community: A community for dynamic and sustainable growth,” the meetings will talk about mainstream orientations and specific measures to spur ASEAN economic ties and successfully form the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015.
The first consultations among Economic Ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Việt Nam (CLMV) will also be held to seek ways to narrow the development gap between CLMV and other ASEAN peers.
* Enhancing linkages for ASEAN’s centrality
Delivering his keynote speech at the opening ceremony, PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng held that ASEAN has entered a new epoch towards the establishment of an ASEAN Community in 2015.
The Vietnamese Government chief expressed his pleasure that ASEAN economies have rebounded and achieved positive outcomes following the founding of ASEAN free trade areas on goods, services and investment, the implementation of the one-stop-shop customs regime, and the goods, services and investment facilitation program.
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Vietnamese PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng addresses his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of AEM – 42, Đà Nẵng, August 25, 2010 – Photo: VGP/Nhật Bắc
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Top priorities in the next five years
To early form an ASEAN Community by 2015, PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng suggested the Meetings focus on the following issues:
First, it is necessary to seek for practical and creative solutions in order to speed up the realization of the ASEAN Community. This is the strategic target and top priority of ASEAN over the next five years;
Second, the bloc should pursue balanced and sustained development policies, especially to harmonize economic growth targets with social development in response to global challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, epidemics, and economic instability;
Third, ASEAN should consolidate and perfect the current economic frameworks with its partners to spur economic linkages and create favorable condition for the establishment of a larger regional structure of which ASEAN would play a central role;
Fourth, specific measures should be taken to narrow the development gap among ASEAN member states, especially when ASEAN has entered a new robust development period;
Fifth, according to PM Dũng, it is vital to mobilize the participation of communities, especially the business circle and people, in the construction of the ASEAN Community.
By Hương Giang
