VOV: Could you brief us on the major outcomes of the 12^th ASEAN summit?

PM Dung: Under the theme “One Caring and Sharing Community”, the 12^th ASEAN summit concluded successfully, creating a new and important driving force behind the establishment of an open, dynamic, efficient and close-knit ASEAN community. I think the summit obtained major outcomes as follows:

First, it agreed to bring forward the establishment of an ASEAN community by 2015, five years ahead of schedule, showing ASEAN’s strong commitment to building an open, dynamic and close-knit community. It was the grouping’s correct and timely decision amidst rapid regional and international developments, as well as its requirements over the past four decades. The decision was considered a “lever” to add fresh impetus to the promotion of regional cooperation on a larger scale.  

Second, ASEAN leaders agreed to build an ASEAN Charter which will be adopted at the 13^th ASEAN summit. They spent much time discussing the drafting of the charter due to its special significance, which marks the development of the grouping over the past four decades. They considered and gave opinions on a report drafted by the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) and agreed that, first and foremost, the charter should be built on fundamental principles and values and common norms which have helped ASEAN make crowning achievements in the past nearly 40 years. In addition, the charter also creates a legal framework for ASEAN institutions to renew their apparatus and operations so as to increase the efficiency of cooperation within the bloc. The charter will be a significant present for the grouping on its 40^th anniversary. The high-level task force (HLTF) will draft the charter and report to the 13^th ASEAN summit to be held in Singapore later this year.

Third, economic cooperation within ASEAN has achieved encouraging results in recent times. The integration level of ASEAN economies has been raised in various forms. It is now time to speed up the integration process to grasp and better respond to new opportunities. The decision to establish an ASEAN community by 2015, the expansion, implementation and development of economic agreements with important partners outside ASEAN will create a new position and image for the grouping in the international arena.   

Fourth, foreign relations. The summit between ASEAN and its dialogue partners gained important results. These partners agreed to boost the mutually beneficial and multifaceted cooperation with ASEAN, support ASEAN efforts in building the community and coordinate closely with the grouping in effectively dealing with trans-national issues. This showed the grouping’s increasing role and position in the region. ASEAN cooperation was further strengthened after France and Timor Leste have agreed to join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC).

VOV: What are Vietnam’s contributions to the success of the summit and related meetings?

PM Dung: As an active and responsible member of the grouping, Vietnam, together with other ASEAN member countries, once again affirmed fundamental principles and values of the grouping to further tighten solidarity between member countries, promote its dynamism, and flexibly adapt to profound global changes, development requirements and circumstances of the region and each member country, as well as narrowing the development gap within ASEAN and between ASEAN and other regions. This is the correct choice to help the grouping fulfil the target of building the ASEAN community of high global prestige. In response to the process, Vietnam is actively preparing to organise the second IAI Development and Cooperation Forum (IDCF) in 2007 to map out an overall strategy for implementing the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) on narrowing the development gap within ASEAN. Vietnam will also play host to the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Meeting and the Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam Meeting (CLMV) this year.     

VOV: What are your assessments of the results of the second East-Asia summit?

PM Dung: Delegates at the summit were very interested in energy security as it is a pressing issue of not only regional countries, but also other countries in the world. To this end, East Asian leaders agreed to boost cooperation in seeking sources of renewable energy, effectively using and conserving the existing sources of energy to ensure stable supplies for regional countries. In the Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy Security, East Asian leaders also confirmed that ASEAN continues to play the key role in the East Asian cooperation process and that the East Asia summit is an indispensable part of the regional structure, including ASEAN+3.