The Government leader pledged to mobilise all available resources to fulfil the task in a speech delivered on December 31. He stated: “Vietnam will hold the position of the ASEAN President for one year from January 1, 2010. It is also the year when Vietnam will mark the 15th anniversary of its ASEAN membership. It is a great honour but also a huge responsibility. We are well prepared and are now ready to fulfil the task in the best possible way.”

“Experiencing over 40 years of development, ASEAN has so far turned itself into a dynamic and growing bloc of ten members, which have cooperated in a large range of areas, politically, economically, culturally and socially. The organisation has made considerable contributions to strengthening and developing peace, stability and cooperation in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific. In addition, ASEAN has established trustworthy partnerships with all the world’s leading nations and multi-national blocs and played an important role in regional and international frameworks of cooperation.”

“Vietnam has placed relations with ASEAN as a strategic priority, considering it a source of impetus and a major support for national construction and defence. We always respect ASEAN cooperation as an vital part of the nation’s multilateral and diversified external policy towards regional and global integration. Over the past 15 years, we have always taken part in and made considerable contributions to the association. In the new stage, we plan to join in ASEAN cooperation a manner that is active, innovative and responsible,’ thus contributing to turning ASEAN into a tighter stronger alliance.”

“Vietnam holds the position of ASEAN President at a point when the group is entering a new stage of development, a transitional year marking the start of the five-year roadmap towards an ASEAN Community by 2015. The Charter and the Roadmap, which have been overwhelmingly approved by ASEAN leaders, have become a vision and framework of action for ASEAN. Its overall goal is to build the ASEAN Community on the basis of the three pillars of politics and security, economy and society and culture and to translate the ASEAN Charter into reality. That is why member countries overwhelmingly agree with Vietnam on the theme of the ASEAN presidency in the year - 2010 ‘Looking towards an ASEAN Community: From Vision to Action.’ This will be ASEAN’s policy throughout 2010.”

“Prompted by this orientation, Vietnam will focus and prioritise the ASEAN presidency on strengthening ASEAN solidarity and its alliances, implementing in an effective way the Charter and Roadmap towards an ASEAN Community, promoting in both width and depth relations with dialogue partners and promoting and increasing ASEAN’s international prestige. Other priorities include stronger cooperation within ASEAN and between ASEAN and dialogue partners in coping with global challenges such as the economic and financial crisis, food and energy security, climate change, natural disasters and epidemics”.

“Along with holding the position of ASEAN President, 2010 will also be a year of numerous major domestic and diplomatic events for Vietnam, especially the grand celebration of the Thang Long-Hanoi Millennium Anniversary. For this reason, we should take advantage of major ASEAN events in Vietnam to promote the nation’s image in terms of its land, people, cultural traditions and history as well as its potential. We should also promote the image of a dynamically growing Vietnam making progress in renewal while maintaining socio-political stability and pursuing an external policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship and cooperation with all other countries as well as taking the initiative in global integration.”

“The Vietnamese Government and people are highly determined and will mobilise all necessary resources to fulfil the task of the ASEAN President leaving its impression in all fields, from the content of activities to information campaigns, logistics and security. I earnestly call on ministries, industries and local administrations, especially the National Committee for ASEAN-2010, to further uphold the sense of responsibility, activeness, flexibility and creativeness in order to fulfil the tasks and targets.”

“On behalf of the Government and people of Vietnam, which will hold the ASEAN Presidency, I would like to take this opportunity to convey a message of peace, solidarity, friendship and cooperation for development to the leaders and peoples of ASEAN member countries, as well as the bloc’s partners and international friends. An ASEAN in making great efforts to build a common community is in need of assistance and support from you all in the interest of peace, stability and development in the region and the world as a whole. I also expect strong support for Vietnam from other ASEAN members, partners and the international community to make the ASEAN Presidency Year-2010 a great success.”
PM Dung concluded his speech with best wishes for a successful New Year to ASEAN.