Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said he believes to Vietnam will to make important contributions to promoting the process of building the ASEAN Community, as a step towards forming a greater community throughout the region.

The Indonesian FM was among guests at a Jan. 20 reception given by the Vietnamese permanent delegation to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta, Indonesia, on the occasion of Vietnam’s assumption of it’s chairmanship for the rest of this year.

ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan also attended the event.

Indonesian FM Natalegawa highlighted Vietnam’s preparedness for the role it will play in 2010. He hailed the success of recent ASEAN ministerial meetings in the central coastal city of Da Nang as a good start for Vietnam’s year at the helm of the bloc.

Vietnamese Ambassador Vu Dang Dung took the occasion to thank other association members for their assistance and cooperation.

Vietnam will continue closely cooperating with other member countries and dialogue partners to fulfil its responsibility as Chair, affirmed the Vietnamese diplomat.

Holding the Chairmanship of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) to ASEAN, the Vietnamese delegation will improve the effectiveness of CPR’s activities in closely working with other members to implement the itinerary and plans of building the ASEAN Community and further expanding the organisation’s external relations, Dung said./.