Distinguished guests and friends,

Today, along with other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), we are happy to celebrate the 44th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN. The August 8 every year becomes a meaningful date for nearly 600 million people of the ASEAN family Community which is experiencing increasingly closer solidarity and prosperous development.

On the occasion, we are happy with great achievements gained by ASEAN over the past 44 years. ASEAN is set to look forwards to the ASEAN Community by 2015, with rising role and position in the international arena. ASEAN’s internal cooperation has been increasingly expanding and becoming more practical within the framework of ASEAN Charter and the Roadmap for building ASEAN Community, with three pillars, including  Political - Security, Economics and Socio-Culture. At the same time, ASEAN has also enhanced and deepened relations with its partners, encouraging the partners to engage in and effectively contribute to the region’s joint efforts for peace, stability and development, for effective response to challenges, to provide pratical assistance to ASEAN Community building.

ASEAN  now becomes a real important and indispensable factor for peace, stability and development in Southeast Asia, functioning as a driving force to accelerate dialogue, cooperation and connectivity in East Asia and the Asia-Pacific Region. Being pleased with significant developments of ASEAN, we however, recognize the emerging difficulties and challenges faced by ASEAN. Therefore, in the time to come, ASEAN needs to continue its strong efforts, particularly on the following key directions:

Firstly, stay united and focus efforts to realize effectively and timely the targets defined in the Plan on implementing the Roadmap for building ASEAN Community by 2015; improve the “culture of implementation” and effectively realize the set plans at both national and regional scales.

Secondly, continue promoting the active role of ASEAN in securing a peaceful environment, security, stability and cooperation in the region; especially bringing into full play the cooperative mechanisms and tools like the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF); beefing up dialogue and confidence building, peaceful settlement of disputes, observation of international law, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, UN Charter and ASEAN Charter.

Thirdly, continue enhancing and deepening the relationship between ASEAN and its partners while consolidating and enhancing the central role of ASEAN in regional cooperation and regional emerging structure, in order to speed up cooperation for common goals of peace, stability and development, as well as effectively response to emerging challenges.

Distinguished guests and friends,

ASEAN cooperation is an important element of the Vietnamese Party and State’s diplomacy of independence, self-reliance, multi-lateralization and diversification of relations, and actively integrate into regional and international affairs. Documents approved at the 11th National Party Congress affirm that “Việt Nam will enhance friendship and cooperation with neiboring countries, actively, proactively and responsibly work with other member countries to build a strong ASEAN Community.”

With an active, proactive and responsible spirit, upholding bulky achievements gained during the year 2010 when holding ASEAN Chair, Việt Nam will actively contribute to building an ASEAN of close connectivity, solidarity, steady with rising role and position in the region and the world at large, striving together for peace, stability, cooperation and prosperous development.

On the occasion of the 44th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN, on behalf of the Vietnamese Government and people, I would like to extend best wishes to the member governments and people of the ASEAN family as well as ASEAN’s partners and friends. For the ASEAN increasingly solidarity, power and development.

Thank you./.