The contest is being held on the occasion of Vietnam taking over the ASEAN chairmanship and the 15^th anniversary of Vietnam’s ASEAN membership.

In 2010, Vietnam undertook the ASEAN’s chairmanship as ASEAN has been moving into a new stage of cooperation, operating on the basis of ASEAN Charter towards the establishment of an ASEAN community by 2015. 2010 is a pivotal year for ASEAN to implement its roadmap for building the community and bringing the ASEAN Charter to life.

The event aims to help Vietnamese people get a thorough grasp of ASEAN, programs and plans, the ASEAN Charter and its 2015 target of establishing an ASEAN community as well as Vietnam’s contributions to ASEAN.

In her speech at the launch, VOV Deputy General Director Hoang Minh Nguyet said that VOV, with its coverage of 99 percent of Vietnam’s population, will make a significant contribution to raising Vietnamese people’s awareness of ASEAN and creating widespread advocacy for its programmes, cooperation strategies between Vietnam and ASEAN as well as the target of establishing an ASEAN community by 2015.

The participants’ entries will be in written form. VOV will receive entries from January 15 to May 15, 2010.  Contestants are all Vietnamese citizens living in Vietnam or abroad and foreigners with fluent Vietnamese speaking and writing ability.

The results of the contest will be announced on VOV radio, on the VOV website at www.vov.vn, on the VOV4 foreign affairs television channel and on the ASEAN 2010 website at www.aseasn2010.vn.

The awards ceremony is expected to take place in July 2010.