The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should mobilise all resources to ensure the successful implementation of overall plans for the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan 2.

The statement was made by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem at the fourth ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) meeting and the second ASEAN Political-Security Community Council (APSC) meeting in Phuket , Thailand , on July 21.

Speaking at the sessions, which were part of the on-going 42 nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM), Deputy PM Khiem applauded the bloc’s positive results in implementing these plans over the past six months.

The association should also define focuses and priorities for each year and each sector as well as assign specific tasks for hosting agencies, he added.

Also at the sessions, ASEAN ministers agreed on several upcoming orientations and measures to build an ASEAN Political-Security Community, with focus on regional security mechanisms such as the Treaty for Amity and Cooperation (TAC) and the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ).

They emphasised the need to prioritise cooperation in narrowing the development gap between member states with greater assistance to be given to Cambodia , Laos , Myanmar and Vietnam .

On the sidelines of the AMM, Deputy PM Pham Gia Khiem met with New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray Mccully to discuss measures to boost bilateral ties and increase the exchange of high-ranking delegations.

The two sides agreed to speed up cooperation in economics, trade and education and in coping with non-traditional security challenges as well as strengthening coordination of ASEAN and East Asia cooperation frameworks./.