The Foreign Ministry held a ceremony to hoist the flags of ASEAN and Vietnam in Hanoi on August 8 to mark the 45 th founding anniversary of ASEAN and 17 years of Vietnam’s admission to the association.

Attending the ceremony were Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and ambassadors of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries in Vietnam .

Also on the same day, all ASEAN member states will organise similar ceremonies to represent their determination to build the ASEAN Community in 2015, promote the role and image of ASEAN, and maintain basic principles, solidarity and unity in parallel with proactiveness and creativeness in resolving emerging issues in the new development path, especially challenges to regional peace, stability, security and development.

With that determination, ASEAN countries are making tireless efforts to speed up the building of the ASEAN Community under the set roadmap, as well as encouraging the active participation and contribution of ASEAN people to the common prosperous development of the group.

With ASEAN’s unanimity, determination and common perception, Vietnam has hoisted the ASEAN flag besides the national flag in the capital city as well as in a number of its diplomatic representative agencies and consulates general abroad.

This activity, on the one hand, reflects Vietnam ’s determination to contribute to ASEAN’s efforts in building the Community in 2015 and gradually creating the sense of community among people.

On the other hand, it helps promote the image of ASEAN and the ASEAN Community to the international arena, contributing to the common success of the association./.