(VOVworld) - The 26th ASEAN Summit took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Monday under the theme “Our People, Our Community, Our Vision.” Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung led the Vietnamese delegation attending the event.
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| Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung attends the The 26th ASEAN Summit (Photo: VNA) |
Leaders of 10 ASEAN member countries will discuss measures for building the ASEAN Community, shaping the ASEAN’s post-2015 vision, and external relations. Participants will also discuss ASEAN’s role and the challenges it faces. Addressing the opening ceremony, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Abdul Razak said 2015 will be a milestone in the history of ASEAN, noting that the vision of creating a single community will be realized by the end of December. He stated that the group’s collective duty this year is to formulate a successor document to the Roadmap to Establish the ASEAN Community. This will provide a basis for further strengthening ASEAN unity and deepening integration over the next ten years. He said these are two crucial undertakings for charting a bold, inclusive, and forward-looking future for ASEAN and its peoples.
The Malaysian Prime Minister noted that recent developments have raised concerns about the East Sea, adding that ASEAN must address these developments in a proactive, but positive and constructive way. Mr. Najib emphasized that respect for international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, must be the basis of rules of engagement and activities in the East Sea. He expressed his hope that progress will be made in efforts to introduce a binding maritime Code of Conduct.
On Monday morning, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung joined other ASEAN leaders at meetings with the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and ASEAN Business Advisory Council. In the afternoon, the leaders left Kuala Lampur for Langkawi city to attend a retreat and the closing ceremony of the 26th ASEAN Summit.