Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung

(VOV) -  To mark the 45^th founding anniversary of the Southeast of Asian nations or ASEAN on August 8^th and 17 years since Vietnam joined the bloc in 1995, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung delivered a speech reviewing the association’s important milestones. The Vietnamese leader said that the decisive element in the association’s success has been its capacity to develop joint strength. Here are excerpts of Prime Minister Dung’s speech.

Prime Minister Dung began by saying that over the past 45 years, ASEAN has built an important position in the region and the world thanks to a ceaseless expansion of cooperation. To realize the establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015, the bloc is undergoing drastic changes. In addition to narrowing development gaps, and improving multifaceted relations for mutual benefit, ASEAN has become the nucleus of leading dialogues including ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, the East Asia Summit, and the ASEAN Regional Forum. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung says ‘ASEAN always gives prominence to consensus, mutual respect and assistance, jointly paying attention to and harmonizing the national and community interests. ASEAN’s strength of solidarity was proven when the Association steadily overcame the financial crisis in 1997 and 1998, worked together and shared difficulties to surmount the aftermath of natural disasters and epidemics  that affected the entire region. Solidarity and unity are the keys to building ASEAN’s prestige and reliability in its relationships with other partners’.

Mr. Dung said that over the past 45 years, ASEAN’s central role has been fully tapped thanks to reconciling, associating, and balancing interests and benefits for regional peace, stability, and cooperation. This has been an essential factor in helping an association of small and medium-sized countries attract major partners inside and outside the region.

The Vietnamese leader said that after 45 years, despite global and regional changes, ASEAN’s unique character, ways of operating, and regulations remain valid and need to be upheld in the new context. In order to implement set goals, ASEAN should flexibly apply key principles and guidelines. These include uniting in a shared joint determination and taking bold action to fulfill cooperation programs on three fronts - security, economics and culture – as set out in the roadmap for building an ASEAN Community. The Association should continue to strengthen the bloc’s links and growth towards narrowing the development gap, while increasing awareness, and mutual assistance amongst member Governments and peoples based on fundamental principles, dynamism, and creativity dealing with new challenges. Prime Minister Dung says “We need to promote constructive dialogue and sharing of codes of conduct while preventing conflicts and commitments made in the South East Asia Amity and Cooperation Treaty and the DOC must be strictly observed. Differences and disputes must be resolved by peaceful means based on international law and ASEAN’s spirit of unity.”

The Prime Minister urged ASEAN to continue expanding relations and comprehensive cooperation with its partners for peace and regional development. This will foster the building of the ASEAN Community while strengthening its links to address emerging challenges. ASEAN needs to strengthen its voice and uphold its stance on regional and world issues.

The Prime Minister said 45^th founding anniversary of the ASEAN is an opportunity for Vietnam to review its progress and continue to be an active and responsible member of the group. He adds “Over the past 17 years of membership, Vietnam has promoted its role as an active and responsible member for a unified ASEAN of strengthening position in the region and the world for prosperity, peace and cooperation. ASEAN will be an important pillar in Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, mulitaleralization, and diversification for active integration into the region and the world.”

The Prime Minister said he believes ASEAN will help achieve peace and prosperity for all people in the region.

Thanh Chung - VOV