In his opening address, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono highlighted the encouraging progress in building the ASEAN Community, implementing the master plan on ASEAN Connectivity, fostering regional linkages, and expanding relations between ASEAN and its partners, while developing its central role in the evolving regional architecture.

The association should continue to consolidate solidarity towards a strong and close-knit community, making a more significant contribution to addressing regional and global issues, said the president.

Shortly after the ceremony, the leaders held a plenary session during which they discussed measures to intensify efforts to fulfil the goal of building the ASEAN Community by 2015, undertake the ASEAN Connectivity master plan and expand the association’s foreign relations.

The Vietnamese delegation is led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.