From the first five members signing the Bangkok Declaration to set upthe association in August 1967, the Association of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN) has now encompassed all 10 countries in the SoutheastAsian region, enjoying increasing consensus, close connection and strongcooperation for mutual development.
Solidarity andcooperation for mutual development have always been the main trend inASEAN throughout its 46-year existence over the past time, which closelyconnect its member countries.
At present,cooperation and connectivity in ASEAN is entering a new developmentperiod with strong qualitative changes, advancing towards the goal ofbecoming a community with close political connectivity, strong economyand sharing and mutually helpful member countries by 2015.
Together with accelerating the implementation of the master plans onASEAN connectivity, the association is making efforts to promote evendevelopment among regions and countries to ensure that all 10 membernations will achieve the set target of forming the ASEAN Community.
Towards a closely and comprehensively connected community by 2015,apart from efforts to build a strong security community, ASEAN isworking hard to fulfil regional commitments and build the EconomicCommunity and Socio-Cultural Community. Economic measures will be takenmore drastically, including opening the market and facilitating trade,investment and services within the framework of the ASEAN Trade in GoodsAgreement (ATIGA), the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS),and the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA).
Other measures include completing policy frameworks to turn ASEAN intoa competitive economic zone, promoting balanced and sustainabledevelopment, narrowing development gaps, and effectively implementingagreements on Free Trade Area (FTAs) and Comprehensive EconomicPartnerships (CEP) the bloc has signed with its partners, which wouldhelp further the association’s integration into the global economy.
To realise the target of a people-centred ASEAN Community, all memberstates are paying greater attention and allocating more resources toensure and improve the living quality of more than 600 million people inthe region.
According to ASEAN Secretary GeneralLe Luong Minh, while there are more than two years to go until theformation of the ASEAN community, the regional grouping has now startedoutlining the viewpoint and vision for the bloc’s development after 2015as well as working out mechanisms to ensure that the association iscapable to implement measures for further development and deeper andmore comprehensive integration, at the same time continues to be aregion with high economic competitiveness and equal, fair andsustainable development.
Vietnamese ForeignMinister Pham Binh Minh has affirmed that ASEAN solidarity and consensushas been clearly demonstrated, especially when dealing with sensitiveissues and priorities during the final stage of the formation of theASEAN Community by 2015.
ASEAN is also of the viewthat it is now the time the bloc should build a vision beyond 2015 anddraft the ASEAN Community’s long-term development strategies after theyear 2015.
During its 18-year journey with the ASEANafter joining the association on July 28, 1995 , Vietnam hasactively, positively and responsibly participated in the association’sactivities. It has worked together with other members to put forthimportant orientations to intensify actions towards the ASEAN Communityand enhance the group’s foreign policies as well as its central role inregional cooperation process and in dealing with regional andinternational issues of mutual concerns and interests.
ASEAN cooperation will be an important pillar in Vietnam ’s foreignpolicy of independence, self-reliance, diversification,multilateralisation and active regional and international integration.-VNA