ASEAN leaders valued the contributions made by the business community to building the Economic Community and strengthening connectivity within the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

At a meeting with representatives from the ASEAN Business Advice Council (ASEAN-BAC) on Nov. 17, ASEAN leaders also hail the Council’s activities over the past year to promote the private sector’s involvement in the building of the ASEAN Economic Community.

They said the ASEAN Business Summit 2011 was a success as it dealt with practical and interesting issues such as solutions to infrastructure development and the participation of the private sector in this field.

Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung proposed that businesses pay attention to the master plan on ASEAN connectivity, especially specific strategies, activities and projects on transport infrastructure linkage, including the ASEAN Highway Network and the Singapore-Kunming Railing Link.

He affirmed that the Vietnamese Government always tries to facilitate the development of all economic sectors, including the private businesses, by ensuring an open, equal business environment.

Following the meeting, PM Dung and other ASEAN leaders witnessed the signing of an agreement on the establishment of the ASEAN coordinating centre for humanitarian assistance on disaster management and the ASEAN Declaration on Unity in Diversity – towards Strengthening the ASEAN Community./.