At the first meeting of Chief Justices of the ASEAN recently organised in Singapore, the Chief Justices agreed to promote close relations and mutual understanding amongst the ASEAN judiciaries.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 35th ASEAN Law Association (ALA) Governing Council meeting held in Singapore from Aug.23-25 with the participation of all the ten member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The Vietnamese delegates included Tran Van Co, Chief Justice of the Appellate Division, Supreme Court of Ho Chi Minh City; and Tran Dai Hung, Chairman of ALA Vietnam.

The Chief Justices also agreed to provide a regular forum for the ASEAN Chief Justices to discuss and exchange views on common issues facing the ASEAN judiciaries and to facilitate judicial cooperation and collaboration among ASEAN judiciaries with a view to accelerate the economic growth and development of the ASEAN region.

The 35th Governing Council Meeting of the ALA was attended by about 300 delegates who discussed such matters as international law, business law and alternative dispute resolution.

Established in 1979, ALA is a non-governmental organisation which brings together the various parts of the ASEAN legal fraternities, including judges, teachers, law practitioners and government lawyers.-VNA