PM to head delegation to 14th ASEAN Summit

Vietnam News, (21-02-2009) 

HA NOI — Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will lead a Vietnamese delegation to the 14th ASEAN Summit to be held in Hua Hin, Thailand, from February 28 to March 1, said Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Le Dung. 

Under the theme "ASEAN Charter for the ASEAN People," the summit will be held as ASEAN enters a new stage of development which aims to establish an ASEAN community by 2015 that operates under the recently-ratified ASEAN Charter. 

At the summit, the ASEAN leaders will discuss measures to put the Charter into reality, how to strengthen links between the member countries, and ways to boost co-operation between ASEAN countries with ASEAN’s partner countries. 

They will also discuss international and regional matters of mutual concern. 

It is expected that the leaders will also sign and ratify many important declarations and agreements. 

Viet Nam wants to boost links between ASEAN countries, especially the founding of an ASEAN community, to facilitate the implementation of the new ASEAN Charter and to consolidate co-operation between ASEAN and the partner countries, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

"By attending the summit, Viet Nam wants to contribute to the strengthening of solidarity and unity of ASEAN, and to assure ASEAN’s key role in maintaining peace, stability, co-operation and development across the region," said Dung. — VNS