The Southeast Asia port expansion summit 2013 got underway in Ho Chi Minh City on February 21 with the attendance of 120 maritime delegates from ASEAN countries.

Jointly held by the Vietnam National Maritime Bureau and L’noppen Company, the event was an excellent opportunity for each country in the region to seek favourable conditions for investment cooperation in maritime transport service and seaport development.

Director of the bureau Nguyen Nhat said that ASEAN is gradually taking steps to shape the key economic sectors, which are able to compete with other economic communities in the region and the world.

To achieve that goal, ASEAN needs to improve the quality of a system of maritime policies, contributing to the close association between economic sectors and enterprises in the regional countries.

According to maritime experts, the investment in seaports located in Southeast Asia’s fastest growing economies will accelerate in the next few years thanks to its experience in privatisation in the maritime field.

Currently, Vietnam is bettering its law system, mechanism, and policies relating to maritime service development in accordance with the latest commitments with ASEAN and the World Trade Organisation (WTO).-VNA