Asia-Pacific

Vietnam completes preparations for 16th ASEAN Summit

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-04-05 20:01

HANOI - Vietnam has already wrapped up preparations for the hosting of the 16th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) slated for Hanoi on April 6-9, a Vietnamese official said on Monday.

The forthcoming ASEAN Summit will be the first high-level event this year as Vietnam holds the bloc's presidency, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Dao Viet Trung said at the International Media Center where was officially launched here Monday afternoon.

The summit will focus on measures to enhance solidarity and cooperation within the group, effectively implement the ASEAN Charter and roadmaps for building the ASEAN Community, as well as deepen ASEAN's cooperative ties with partners, thereby maintaining its role and position internationally, said Trung, who is Permanent General Secretary of the National Committee for ASEAN 2010.

The deputy minister said that the ASEAN leaders will also focus on a number of regional and global issues, adding that they are expected to approve two declarations, namely the ASEAN declaration on sustainable recovery and development and the declaration on responses to climate change.

For the first time, a plenary session will be held with the attendance of senior leaders, ministers and heads of the three ASEAN pillars - politics security, economics, and culture society - to seek ways of accelerating the building of the ASEAN Community by 2015.

The building of the ASEAN Economic Community will be a top priority in a move to create a united market so as to facilitate the flow of goods as well as investment, services, capital and human resources within the bloc, Trung said.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, about 700 local and foreign reporters have registered to give coverage of the 16th ASEAN Summit and related meetings.

Trung said that Vietnam has completed preparations for the Summit, including security and facilities. He also assured the media that the Sub-Committee on Culture and Communications will provide reporters with up-to-date information by issuing press releases in both Vietnamese and English about every event as soon as it ends.

Reporters can get in-depth information through press conferences and one-on-one interviews with delegates.