(VOVworld) - The 45^th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting got underway in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, initiating a week of important regional meetings and events, chaired by Cambodia. Speaking at the opening session on Monday, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hunsen said after 45 years, ASEAN has become a closely-integrated political and economic entity, an influential player in Asia and a vital strategic partner of several major countries and global organizations. ASEAN’s impressive achievements are the results of strong commitment and political will shown by the members when working closely together in a spirit of unity and solidarity, friendship and cooperation. This spirit is best expressed by this year’s theme “ASEAN: One community, One destiny.” Hun Sen said that maintaining regional peace and security is indispensable condition for development and prosperity in ASEAN. It needs to show that it is a driving force for the promotion of dialogue and cooperation on political and security issues, which helps to ensure peace, stability, and prosperity in the region. ASEAN should use current instruments and mechanisms to ensure regional peace and security, such as the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, ASEAN Regional Forum, and the ASEAN Plus Defense Ministers Meeting.

Cambodian PM Hunsen opens the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting

After the opening session, the Ministers met for a plenary session, before ending for the day. They discussed several issues, including speeding up the building of ASEAN community by 2015, Dialogue between ASEAN and China on finalizing the Regional Code of Conduct in the East Sea, Cooperation between ASEAN and its partner in the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone and models of developmental cooperation up to 2015 – a drug-free ASEAN community.