Socialist Republic of Vietnam

(06/18/2003 -- 22:33GMT+7)

Phnom Penh, June 18 (VNA) - Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien of Viet Nam has affirmed the great success of the 36th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM-36), which was closed in Cambodia's capital on Tuesday, in an interview with Viet Nam News Agency (VNA).

The FM said ASEAN Foreign Ministers focussed on measures to overcome major challenges to the ASEAN development such as the impact of the Iraq war and SARS. They have come out with a decision to continue promoting the values and basic principles of the group, and strengthen the regional unity and solidarity in line with ASEAN members' traditions. The member countries pledged to boost the economic cooperation, thus narrowing the gap of development, and continue with the external policy for expanding partnership with non-member economies, especially with the dialogue partners, on an equal footing.

Nien noted also high on the meeting's agenda were policies for the blocking's long-term strategy, with focus laid on an initiative on an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) raised by Singapore at the eighth ASEAN Summit in November of 2002, and Indonesia's fresh initiative on an ASEAN Security Community (ASC).

He added: "The participating ministers were of the view that once implemented, the initiatives would help raise the economic and political cooperation among the ASEAN members to a much higher level. The initiatives, therefore, would have a comprehensive effect on the blocking's presence and future in all fields, economic, political, and ruling."

The ministers saw the need to closely follow the Ha Noi Plan of Action passed in 1998 as well as to work out more legal conditions for the next steps of development. "They considered the grouping's unity as the most important factor to guarantee the close political and economic ties among the member nations. Meanwhile, they voiced determination to get rid of the two levels of development in the region by speeding up the progress of the on-going projects such as the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), the ASEAN Investment Area (AIA) and the Ha Noi Plan of Action (HPA). In regard to the HPA, the Ministers agreed to hold a five-year review of the project's progress soon in order to draw experiences to work out the next plan of action for 2005-10."

The meeting raised full support for the United Nations' key and vital role in the Iraqi reconstruction on the basis of respect for the nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity, guaranttee of security and in line with the Iraqi people's aspiration. The regional ministers also expressed support for a Nuclear-free Korean penisular as well as peaceful solutions to the current tension through dialogues and negotiations. They also emphasized the need for ASEAN and the ARF to boost their role in easing tension and creating more favourable conditions for direct dialogues among relevant parties," FM Nien stressed.

On other regional issues such as the current developments in Myanmar and Indonesia, Nien said "the ministers reaffirmed the association's principles of non-interference into other member countries' internal affairs."

In regard to the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), "the meeting was of the view that the ARF has developed on the right track, becoming a vital forum for dialogues and political and security cooperation in the Asian-Pacific
region," FM Nien stressed.

He added along with efforts to build up trust as the foundation for the ARF process, the participating ministers stressed on the need to bring the process to the preventive diplomacy phase in line with member countries'
development policies.

On the results of the meetings, FM Nien confirmed that the 36th ASEAN inisterial Meeting and relevant conferences have successfully concluded.

He elaborated that the meeting reaffirmed ASEAN's top priorities for economic cooperation and bridging the development gap and accelerating the
association's political and security cooperation.

ASEAN members frankly and constructively contributed opinions to build a direction for a long-term and effective development of the association on a par with the regional and global situation, Nien said.

He added ASEAN dialogue partners have continued to attach great importance to ASEAN's central key role in cooperation projects and programmes and in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). "The trend finds manifestation with the involvement of China, Russia and India and many other countries in the Friendly and Cooperative Treaty and the signing by ASEAN and Russia of the Joint Declaration on Partnership for Peace, Security, Prosperity and Development in the Asia-Pacific region."

Speaking about Viet Nam's contributions to the success of the conferences, the FM confirmed Viet Nam's consistent stance and activities have vitally contributed to maintaining ASEAN's principles and its values and paid due attention to the implementation of ASEAN's priorities, especially accelerating unity and narrowing the development gap.

Viet Nam has maintained socio-political stability and recorded relatively high economic growth rate despite the difficult regional and global context. Viet Nam's successful containment of SARS outbreak has brought experiences to other ASEAN members in their fight against the disease. These achievements are the most important contributions that Viet Nam has made to these conferences."

"Viet Nam's contributions full of responsibility to the association's common interest have played an important role in consolidating ASEAN members' care for raising the association's role in the region and the world at large as well as consolidating its image as a regional successful association steadily facing challenges," the FM concluded.