Vietnam has joined in ASEAN cooperation in a pro-active and responsible manner, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem asserted.

He was talking with a Vietnam News Agency correspondent on the Vietnamese delegation’s contributions to the 42nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM-42) and related meetings which concluded in Phuket, Thailand on July 23.

According to Deputy PM Khiem, Vietnam gave practical suggestions to speed up the implementation of master plans and a work plan for the second phase of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) on narrowing the development gap in the bloc under the Roadmap for the ASEAN Community.

Vietnam stressed the need to beef up coordination between organs of the ASEAN apparatus, and defined priorities and focuses for each stage of these plans, Deputy PM Khiem said.

He said that Vietnam made active contributions to strengthening solidarity and consensus within the ASEAN and promoting the association’s role in regional issues.

“With a balanced and constructive voice, Vietnam actively joined ASEAN member countries in dealing with differences in compiling the Terms of Reference of the ASEAN human rights body, and contributed to building legal documents for executing the ASEAN Charter,” Khiem said.

Vietnam also contributed to the implementation of the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and strengthening the cooperation in the Mekong River Sub-region, including the preservation of water sources.

“ Vietnam made an important contribution to boosting relations between ASEAN and its dialoguer partners, particularly in carrying out the two sides’ agreements,” Khiem said.

According to him, Vietnam performed well in its role as a coordinator for the ASEAN-Canada dialogue, and helped speed up the compilation of the ASEAN-Canada joint statement on enhanced partnership for the two sides’ ratification at this meeting, thus deepening bilateral relations. These efforts by Vietnam were appreciated by ASEAN member countries and Canada, Khiem added.

At this year’s meeting, Vietnam officially assumed its role as a coordinator in the ASEAN-China dialogue relationship, the Deputy PM said.

He added that Vietnam has joined hands with the other ASEAN members to uphold the efficiency of regional security maintenance mechanisms such as the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ).

The ASEAN member countries have worked to ensure the bloc’s leading role in ASEAN+3, the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

Vietnam held preliminary discussions with the other ASEAN member nations on a number of issues regarding its preparations for undertaking the ASEAN presidency in 2010.

On the sidelines of AMM-42, Deputy PM Khiem met with head delegates of New Zealand, Canada and Australia to deliberate a number of measures to foster bilateral relations, as well as to exchange views on issues of mutual concern within the ASEAN cooperation mechanisms./.