A Vietnamese delegation led by Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang attended the 9th meeting of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Council in Banda Seri Begawan, Brunei on April 10.

At the meeting chaired by Brunei’s Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Pehin Dato Lim Jock Seng, delegates from ASEAN members discussed the AEC Scorecard, which evaluates the implementation of the AEC Blueprint, particularly in view of the target to establish the AEC by 2015.

They reviewed the progress made in further facilitating and encouraging the flow of services and professionals across borders, developments in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations since its launch in November, 2012, and the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity.

Recommendations to accelerate connectivity and regional economic integration made at the meeting will be presented to ASEAN leaders at the 22nd ASEAN Summit in Brunei from April 24 to 25.

The AEC Council is one of the three community councils established under Article 9 of the ASEAN Charter to oversee the work plan to create an ASEAN Community by 2015.

The effective realisation of the AEC requires cooperation across various policy areas, including trade, investment, finance, agriculture and forestry, energy, transport, tourism, telecommunications and IT.

ASEAN or the Association of South East Asian Nations consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.-VNA