They include the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), the army-run telecom group Viettel and the National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam)-each providing VND50 billion and the Vietnam Petroleum Corporation (Petrolimex), which is offering VND 30 billion.

An agreement to this effect was signed between the National Committee for the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2010’s Materials and Logistics Sub-committee and representatives of the four sponsors in Hanoi on January 22.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, who is also chairman of the committee, praised the four enterprises for their support, which he said, exemplified the corporations’ sense of social responsibility in making Vietnam’s tenure as ASEAN president a success.

Vietnam considers its participation as a full member of ASEAN an essential part of the country’s strategic priorities and an important factor in its external relations, Khiem stressed.

On behalf of the sponsors, Phung Dinh Thuc, PetroVietnam’s General Director, assured the effective implementation of signed commitments, in order to make a significant contribution to the success of ASEAN in 2010.

The bloc is entering a new period of development, looking toward the establishment of an ASEAN community by 2015, which will operate under the ASEAN Charter.

Recognising the strategic importance of the association, Vietnam has locked arms with other member nations, and demonstrated that is well capable of fulfilling its commitments, and through it’s presidency of the bloc, it aims to contribute to building stronger, closer cooperation within it.