Ambassadors from seven countries including Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar, Malaysia and Brunei compared notes on ASEAN’s activities in recent times. Worthy of note was the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference (PMC) with Canada to consider the ASEAN-Canada action plan in response to the Joint Declaration on ASEAN-Canada Enhanced
Partnership in the 2010-2015 period and prospects for cooperation in line with the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity.

They also reviewed the activities of ASEAN’s diplomatic representative offices in Canada, especially preparations for the 35^th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN-Canada ties next year and discussed ways to strengthen ASEAN diplomatic ties with related agencies in the country of residence.

Canada has regarded ASEAN an important partner and is considering the possibility of setting up a development fund to support the ASEAN community’s activities in Canada. The Government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper is closely monitoring ASEAN’s regional structure development.

Canada has signed the third revised protocol on the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) and is putting the finishing touches to the ASEAN-Canada Joint Declaration on Trade and Investment.

Vietnamese ambassador Ha assumed ACO Presidency from July 1 to December 31, acting as a co-ordinator for ASEAN’s diplomatic representative offices in Canada in organizing friendship sports events and releasing ASEAN’s news bulletins.

At the session, he handed over the task of ACO Presidency from January 1 to June 30, 2012 to Philippines ambassador.