Addressing the plenary session of the 19^th ASEAN Summit in Indonesia on November 17, Mr Dung said that ASEAN should identify priority objectives for each year and specific areas, while enhancing the efficiency of coordination and supervision at national and regional levels.

He acknowledged the association’s effort in implementing the Blueprint on the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) over the past two years and proposed that ASEAN and its partners strengthen cooperation in concretising the Blueprint, especially in 14 key areas.

According to the Vietnamese PM, ASEAN countries should continue to consolidate solidarity to bring into full play its political-security cooperation mechanisms to ensure peace and security and promote development cooperation in the region, and at the same time to maintain the central and proactive role of ASEAN in the evolving regional architecture.

These mechanisms include the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ), the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the upcoming Code of Conduct (COC), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+).

Mr Dung also proposed that ASEAN increase cooperation and investment in narrowing development gap, food and energy security, as well as in dealing with emerging challenges, including climate change, maritime security, and the environment.

It is necessary to exploit and use water resources of the Mekong River reasonably to foster sustainable and equitable development in the region, said Mr Dung.

He stressed the importance of full implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity as a top priority area in intra-ASEAN cooperation and cooperation between ASEAN and its partners.

He called for more efforts to effectively implement agreements on liberalisation and facilitation of trade, commodities, services, investment, and people-to-people exchanges.

He proposed issuing ASEAN Travel Cards and establishing immigration booths for its citizens at international border gates of the member countries to facilitate travel.

Regarding foreign relations, the Vietnamese PM said that ASEAN should create conditions for its dialogue partners to deeper participate in and make a more positive contribution to addressing regional issues related to peace, security and development, while supporting the goal of building the ASEAN Community by 2015.

He underlined the need to lift cooperative relations between ASEAN and its partners in the future, including strategic partnerships between ASEAN and the US and India.   

ASEAN should perform its proactive role in developing a cooperation framework and code of conduct, building confidence and maintaining existing mechanisms for peace, stability and security in the region, stressed Mr Dung.  

Later, PM Dung met with his Lao counterpart Thongsing Thamavong on the sidelines of the summit. The two PMs agreed to organise various activities in 2012 to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 35^th anniversary of the Friendship and Cooperation Treaty between Vietnam and Laos.