On the theme of ASEAN Charter for ASEAN People, ASEAN leaders will discuss measures to increase regional cooperation, speed up the establishment of an ASEAN Community, weather the global financial storm, ensure food and energy security, mitigate the consequences of natural disasters, and expand the external relations of the bloc.

The summit takes place at a time when ASEAN is preparing to build a united community by 2015 based on the ASEAN Charter which was enforced on December 15, 2008. In addition, the bloc is coping with countless challenges arising from the fallout of the current global financial crisis.   

Besides official meetings, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and other ASEAN leaders will attend dialogue and informal meetings with the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), and representatives of ASEAN Youth and other civil social organisations.

PM  Dung and Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem will have bilateral meetings with the heads of State and FMs of several countries.

By attending the regional meeting, Vietnam wants to lift its role and position within ASEAN, helping to strengthen regional solidarity, cooperation and integration, ensure the association’s leading role in maintaining peace, stability and development, increase cooperation between ASEAN and its dialogue partners and make full use of international assistance for realising its goals.

ASEAN was founded on August 8, 1967, marking a milestone in its regional development. From just five founders at the beginning, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, ASEAN later admitted Brunei in 1984, Vietnam in 1995, Laos and Myanmar in 1997 and Cambodia in 1999 to become one of the most dynamic economic forum in the world.

With an area of more than 4.5 million square kilometres and a population of 575 million, every year ASEAN generates a combined GDP of US$1,281 billion and a total export value of US$750 billion. It is the global leading supplier of rubber (making up 90 percent of the world’s volume), tin and vegetable oil (90 percent) and timber (60 percent) as well as rice, sugar and pineapples. Its industrial products such as textiles, electronics and consumer products are penetrating deep the world market.

By achieving a high economic growth rate, ASEAN is considered a successful regional forum for developing nations.

Currently, the process of economic restructuring towards industrialisation is taking place strongly within ASEAN. Thanks to the overseas-targeted policy, ASEAN trade has increased by nearly fivefold during the past 20 years, reaching US$160 billion in the 1990s and US$750 billion at present. The region has attracted more foreign investment, with the amount in 2006 increasing by 27.5 percent compared to the 2005 figure.

Vietnam joined ASEAN on July 28, 1995 and it first attended the 28^th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) and related meetings in Brunei from August 2-3, 1995 as a full-fledged member.   

Earlier, Vietnam joined the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Bali, Indonesia, in July 1992, becoming an ASEAN observer. In 1993, it began to participate in regional cooperation programmes in the fields of science-technology, the environment, health care, culture-information, and social development. It joined the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in 1995 and became one of the founders of the forum.

Over the past 13 years, Vietnam has actively participated in all areas of ASEAN cooperation, contributing to implementing the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of foreign relations, and promoting peace, stability and cooperation in the region for the sake of national construction and defence.

Notably, Vietnam successfully organised the 6^th ASEAN summit in Hanoi in 1998 and helped ASEAN consolidate solidarity and its international position amidst the impact of the Asian financial crisis in 1997. It ratified the Hanoi Plan of Action (HPA) in 1997 to realise the ASEAN Vision 2020.

Between July 2000-July 2001, Vietnam performed its role as the presidency of the ASEAN Standing Committee (ASC), and successfully hosted the 34^th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) and related meetings, and the 23^rd General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisation (AIPO) in 2002. 

In 2010, Vietnam will assume the presidency of ASEAN. This is a chance for the country to perform its better role within ASEAN and support the implementation of the Party and State’s foreign policy.