(VOVworld) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Tuesday will attend the 23^rd ASEAN Summit and related meetings from October 8^th to 10^th in Brunei. As a responsible and active member, Vietnam and other member states will contribute to a transforming ASEAN towards a unified Community by the end of 2015.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung

The Summit takes place with ASEAN advancing toward a community and increasing human connectivity. The bloc has been formulating a post-2015 vision with 4 basic targets: consolidating ASEAN into a community and promoting peace, security and prosperity in the region and the world. The ASEAN Summit and related meetings will discuss strengthened cooperation between ASEAN and its partners within the framework of the ASEAN+1, the ASEAN+3 and the East Asia Summit and development orientations after 2015.

Challenges to building a community

After 46 years of ups and downs, ASEAN has become a comprehensive regional cooperation organization and a dynamic political-economic entity. Operating on the basis of its Charter, ASEAN plays an important role in Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific as well as in maintaining peace, security, stability, and economic development regionally and globally. ASEAN has completed two thirds of the roadmap for building an ASEAN Community by 2015 based on the three pillars: politics-security, economics-culture, and society. To complete the roadmap on time, however, will require greater effort and determination.

Vietnam is an inseparable member of ASEAN

Since it joined ASEAN 18 years ago, Vietnam has been involved in all ASEAN activities, contributing to peace, security, stability, and development in the region. Vietnam has joined other member states to consolidate unity, maintain the bloc’s fundamental principles, and address sensitive and complicated issues based on the ASEAN Charter. Vietnam has helped to reinforce internal and regional linkages, narrow the development gap and promote sustainable development within ASEAN. Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh said: “Vietnam joined ASEAN in 1995 when the target to build an ASEAN Community was set. Vietnam has fulfilled its member responsibility to all of the bloc’s targets. Although its economy is growing slower than the economies of other countries, Vietnam has reduced tariffs on 99% of imported products to 0-5% as committed. We have also helped to formulate regional mechanisms.

Vietnam has assumed the role of dialogue coordinator between ASEAN and the EU until 2015 and Chair of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM). Deputy Foreign Minister Vinh said that Prime Minister Dung will chair the 23^rd ACDM meeting and a conference between the ACDM and its partners: “Developments in Southeast Asia will certainly have an impact on Vietnam. Therefore, developing an ASEAN Community will be in our own strategic interest. Once this goal is achieved, there will be an environment of peace, stability and development, in which member economies will supplement and support one another better.”