Viet Nam resolves to fulfil its role as chair of ASEAN

Ha Noi — Viet Nam would do its utmost to accomplish the role of ASEAN Chair in 2010, President Nguyen Minh Triet told the heads of ASEAN delegations at a reception to celebrate the success of the summit in the capital city yesterday.

President Triet expressed his high appreciation of the achievements of the association over the last four decades and more.

"ASEAN, as a common home for all its ten member states, is an important factor in ensuring peace, security, co-operation and development in the region. ASEAN has become a closely bonded and comprehensive regional organisation, winning high prestige internationally," he said.

"The association has entered a new period of development - to become an ASEAN community by 2015 with the ASEAN Charter as the guiding legal framework.

"The vision and objectives as well as the specific roadmap from now until 2015 have already been agreed by member states. The only remaining issue now is to turn signed documents into a reality", said Triet.

"In order to do this, it requires the absolute political determination and great efforts of all members".

He said in order to turn the idea of ASEAN Community into a reality, all member states must work together to enhance the specific traditional values of the association. These values are the strength and basis ensuring the continued success for the association.

Triet asked all member countries to do their best to consolidate the solidarity and unity within the association and to harmonise each country's interests with that of the bloc.

He also called on the association to be pro-active in the settlement of regional issues and in organising dialogue and co-operation in the region, to enable partners outside the region to participate and contribute to the handling of challenges to peace, security and development in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region.

"Viet Nam has enjoyed quite a few benefits since it became a member of ASEAN and the same is true for ASEAN. Viet Nam has become a part of ASEAN. A strong and unified ASEAN has an important role and position in the world, in conformity with Viet Nam's basic and long term interests. It is also the country's priority in its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multi-lateral and diverse relations and good neighbourliness", said Triet.

On behalf of the ASEAN delegations, the King of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah thanked the Vietnamese Government and people for their special hospitality given to them during their stay in Viet Nam.

He also took the occasion to send his best greetings to Viet Nam on the occasion of the 1,000th founding anniversary of Thang Long-Ha Noi. — VNS