Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and a Vietnamese government delegation are scheduled to leave Hanoi on May 6 for the 18th ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia from May 7-8 at the invitation of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The PM is accompanied by Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh and Vice Head of the Government Office Van Trong Ly.

The Vietnamese delegation is expected to promote the achievements made during the country’s 2010 ASEAN Chairmanship Year, actively contributing to enhancing ASEAN solidarity and connectivity; further step up cooperation between ASEAN and its partners; and maintain ASEAN’s central role, thus promoting the role and position of Vietnam .

The Summit will take place in the context of the stable regional situation, maintained political and security environment and satisfactory economic recovery.

ASEAN cooperation continues developing more dynamically and practically, recording important results. ASEAN member countries are actively speeding up the inner-bloc connectivity and implementing a roadmap of building the ASEAN Community in 2015 and an overall plan on ASEAN connectivity alongside with strengthening and expanding cooperation with partners and maintaining their important role in the region.

Large countries continue adjusting policies that attach importance to and strengthen ties with ASEAN. However, this also increases strategic competitions in the East Asian region.

At the Summit, themed “ASEAN Community in a Global Community”, ASEAN leaders will discuss orientations and measures to speed up the implementation of the roadmap of building the ASEAN Community based on three pillars, namely politics-security, economics and socio-culture; strengthen cooperation with non-member partners; improve ASEAN’s role in the international community; and exchange regional and international issues of common concern.

ASEAN leaders will approve a Declaration of Ideas in preparation for the release of a Joint Declaration on ASEAN Community in a Global Community at the 19 th ASEAN Summit./.