Tin-Tức-Cập-Nhật: Summit debates ASEAN's goals

Tin-Tức-Cập-Nhật: Summit debates ASEAN's goals: "Delegation heads at the opening ceremony of the 16th ASEAN Summit in Ha Noi yesterday. Viet Nam will strive to steer the block towards..."

Tin-Tức-Cập-Nhật: Summit debates ASEAN's goals

Tin-Tức-Cập-Nhật: Summit debates ASEAN's goals: "Delegation heads at the opening ceremony of the 16th ASEAN Summit in Ha Noi yesterday. Viet Nam will strive to steer the block towards..."

Summit debates ASEAN's goals

Delegation heads at the opening ceremony of the 16th ASEAN Summit in Ha Noi yesterday. Viet Nam will strive to steer the block towards achieving its goals, the Prime Minister said. — VNA/VNS Photo Duc Tam

HA NOI — Viet Nam pledged to do its utmost to collaborate with other regional members to achieve concrete results in building the ASEAN community and to properly address emerging issues, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told the 16th ASEAN summit, which opened yesterday in Ha Noi.

The two-day summit, being held under Viet Nam's ASEAN chairmanship, which coincides with its 15-year ASEAN membership, highlights the significance of the summit as ASEAN accelerates its implementation of the roadmap for an ASEAN community and operates on a legal basis of the ASEAN Charter.

"Given the strategic importance of ASEAN to Viet Nam, we are fully aware that Viet Nam is an inseparable part of the ASEAN family and continues to participate in ASEAN co-operation in a proactive and responsible manner to contribute to building a stronger and more closely integrated ASEAN," said Dung, the chair of the summit.

In his opening statement yesterday, Dung praised the regional states' efforts to maintain unity and close co-operation despite the impacts of complex developments in the region and the world in the last year.

"Relations between ASEAN and our partners have been enhanced, with greater substance and efficiency, and ASEAN's role as a driving force in regional co-operation frameworks has been further strengthened," said Dung.

The overall theme of "Towards the ASEAN Community: from Vision to Action" underlines the region's focus and strong sense of action for this year and beyond.

"All the member states welcome the theme ‘From Vision to Action' and every member believes that it is time to deliver on our commitments, agreements, projects and programmes that we have put together in the blueprint and in various master plans," ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan told Viet Nam News yesterday.

Solutions

The summit carries an important mandate of setting forth the directions and appropriate solutions to accelerate ASEAN integration and to enhance its strength in effectively addressing regional issues as well as global challenges. In order to do these tasks well, Dung pointed out five prioritised items to be discussed at the summit.

The Prime Minister requested the member countries to speed up the implementation of the roadmap for the ASEAN Community and to bring the ASEAN Charter to life.

ASEAN should simultaneously act on three directions of accelerating ASEAN economic integration, enhancing East Asian economic and financial co-operation and actively contributing to the common efforts of the international community through the promotion of global solutions, said Dung.

The other thing that should be discussed at the meeting was how to enhance co-operation to cope with challenges and to ensure sustainable development in the region, according to the Prime Minister.

The summit is also expected to discuss measures to further promote co-operation and dialogue for peace, stability and development in the region, and broaden and deepen relations between ASEAN and its dialogue partners, thus maintaining ASEAN's central role in regional processes.

Dung stated that Viet Nam, as the ASEAN chair, had been working closely with other ASEAN members in order to achieve substantial outcomes in the process of ASEAN community building by properly and timely respond to emerging challenges. After the opening ceremony, ASEAN leaders proceeded to the plenary session where they discussed ways and means to enhance regional integration towards an ASEAN community, as well as ways to effectively implement the ASEAN Charter.

The leaders were briefed by the ASEAN Secretary General on the status of implementing the ASEAN Charter and the roadmap for an ASEAN community by 2015, and by the host minister for Industry and Trade, Vu Huy Hoang, on the progress of ASEAN's economic co-operation. The leaders agreed that ASEAN needed to focus on concrete actions to effectively implement agreements in time by enhancing co-ordination among relevant bodies and developing proper mechanisms for monitoring and resource mobilisation.

The ASEAN leaders also gave fruitful guidance to promote ASEAN connectivity. As such, the region's intra-connectivity, including the Mekong and other sub-regions, should be prioritised, focusing on hardware connectivity such as transportation, ICT, energy and software connectivity such as facilitation for cross-border trade, investment, tourism and person-to-person exchanges. At the same time, ASEAN will strengthen co-operation with external partners to pave the way for further connectivity in East Asia.

Right before the opening ceremony, the ASEAN leaders tentatively had their first official meeting with representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) to discuss the promotion of ASEAN-AIPA co-operation as well as their contributions in the ASEAN community building process.

Dung, who attended the meeting, spoke highly of the contributions of the AIPA and member states' parliaments in realising co-operation agreements and building up the ASEAN community.

The Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong, who is the current chairman of the AIPA-31, underlined AIPA's determination to work closely with ASEAN in building the community, promoting regional connectivity and strengthening co-operation to address emerging issues that the region was facing, such as climate change, natural disasters and pandemics.

Trong suggested measures to further promote co-ordination between AIPA and ASEAN, which included creating favourable legal conditions to realise the signed agreements and promoting public awareness, as well as the contributions of parliaments and peoples to the ASEAN community's buildup. He affirmed that the Vietnamese National Assembly, during its chairmanship, would co-ordinate well with other AIPA members to play an active role in the successful realisation of the ASEAN community.

Earlier yesterday, the ASEAN Co-ordinating Council (ACC) met to wrap up the final preparations for the summit, based on the outcomes of the Ministerial Meetings of the association's economic and socio-cultural communities. The ACC adopted documents submitted by the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR). The ministers agreed on the ASEAN Community Strategy and took note of the First Report of the High Level Task Force on ASEAN Connectivity, which would be submitted to ASEAN leaders for consideration.

Regarding the list of outcome documents for the summit, the ACC reviewed and adopted two draft statements – the ASEAN Leaders' Statement on Sustained Recovery and Development and the ASEAN Leaders' Statement on Joint Response to Climate Change.

Disputes settlement

After the meeting, the regional foreign ministers signed the Protocol to the ASEAN Charter on Dispute Settlement Mechanisms, which was an important step towards the completion of the legal framework laid down by the ASEAN Charter.

The adoption and signing of the Protocol as well as the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of ASEAN signified the determination of ASEAN in transforming ASEAN into a rules-based organisation and served to facilitate the implementation of the Charter and ASEAN community building.

ASEAN is building up a community based on co-operation in many fields, especially economics, said the spokesman of Ha Noi's ASEAN Summit, Tran Ngoc An, adding that despite similarities and close ties among the member countries, there remained disputes in economic co-operation.

"The Protocol will create a legal framework to help settle the disputes fairly and equally," said An.

All the foreign ministers reaffirmed their commitments to finalising the three other instruments, namely the rules for references to the ASEAN summit, the procedures for authorisation under international and domestic laws and the rules of procedures for requesting the ASEAN Secretariat to interpret the ASEAN Charter, of which the first one shall become an integral part of the Protocol.

The ministers therefore tasked ASEAN SOM leaders to complete the drafting of these instruments as soon as possible and to submit a progress report at the 43rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in July.

The ministers agreed that the protocol would be subjected to the respective internal procedures of the member states after the adoption and inclusion of the rules for references to the ASEAN summit in the Protocol. — VNS

Mr.Thanh

President Nguyen Minh Triet receives the heads of ASEAN delegations on the occasion of the 16th ASEAN Summit.— VNA/VNS Photo Doan Tan

Ha Noi — Viet Nam would do its utmost to accomplish the role of ASEAN Chair in 2010, President Nguyen Minh Triet told the heads of ASEAN delegations at a reception to celebrate the success of the summit in the capital city yesterday.

President Triet expressed his high appreciation of the achievements of the association over the last four decades and more.

"ASEAN, as a common home for all its ten member states, is an important factor in ensuring peace, security, co-operation and development in the region. ASEAN has become a closely bonded and comprehensive regional organisation, winning high prestige internationally," he said.

"The association has entered a new period of development - to become an ASEAN community by 2015 with the ASEAN Charter as the guiding legal framework.

"The vision and objectives as well as the specific roadmap from now until 2015 have already been agreed by member states. The only remaining issue now is to turn signed documents into a reality", said Triet.

"In order to do this, it requires the absolute political determination and great efforts of all members".

He said in order to turn the idea of ASEAN Community into a reality, all member states must work together to enhance the specific traditional values of the association. These values are the strength and basis ensuring the continued success for the association.

Triet asked all member countries to do their best to consolidate the solidarity and unity within the association and to harmonise each country's interests with that of the bloc.

He also called on the association to be pro-active in the settlement of regional issues and in organising dialogue and co-operation in the region, to enable partners outside the region to participate and contribute to the handling of challenges to peace, security and development in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region.

"Viet Nam has enjoyed quite a few benefits since it became a member of ASEAN and the same is true for ASEAN. Viet Nam has become a part of ASEAN. A strong and unified ASEAN has an important role and position in the world, in conformity with Viet Nam's basic and long term interests. It is also the country's priority in its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multi-lateral and diverse relations and good neighbourliness", said Triet.

On behalf of the ASEAN delegations, the King of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah thanked the Vietnamese Government and people for their special hospitality given to them during their stay in Viet Nam.

He also took the occasion to send his best greetings to Viet Nam on the occasion of the 1,000th founding anniversary of Thang Long-Ha Noi. — VNS 

Mr.Thanh

Broken-down missing fishing boat found by Chinese patrol

HA NOI — Contact was made with the captain and the crew of the missing fishing boat QNg 66487 TS at 12:45hrs last Saturday, reported the People's Committee of the central coastal province of Quang Ngai.

The fishing boat has been missing for the last few days after its engine broke down, requiring the fishermen to use blankets as a sail. It was later spotted by a Chinese patrol ship and the nine fishermen on board were taken to the Tru Cau Island of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago for shelter.

That afternoon, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Ho Xuan Son met Chinese Ambassador to Viet Nam Sun Guoxiang and requested that China notify Viet Nam of the rescue so that the crew can be brought home safely.

According to the Vietnamese Embassy in China, on Saturday evening, the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that China took fishing boat QNg 66487 TS and its nine crew members to an island of the Hoang Sa Archipelago.

Due to inclement weather, the fishing boat and its crew would have to stay on the island for the next few days, said the embassy.

The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry said it was working with the Chinese to bring fishing boat QNg 66487 TS and its crew home as soon as possible. — VNS

Mr.Thanh

Call for elite force to control public security

Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh speaks at the opening of the congress in Ha Noi yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuan Tuan

HA NOI — Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh has asked the Ministry of Public Security to build a regular, elite and modern revolutionary public security force.

Addressing the 5th Congress of the Central Party Organisation of the Public Security Force in Ha Noi yesterday, Manh praised the achievements of the Public Security Force over the past five years.

"Against the background of ups and downs in Viet Nam and internationally, the Public Security Force has contributed notably to maintaining the nation's political stability and law enforcement, while protecting the national sovereignty and enabling the renewal process to progress," Manh said.

"You're the core force when it comes to protecting national security and maintaining social order," he added.

Manh said the security force must first act as an advisor to the Party and the Government, while playing a core role in carrying out the Party's policies and enforcing State laws on social security and order. To do that, the Public Security Force must ensure that a peaceful and stable society is maintained and remember that national independence is closely linked with socialism.

Second, under the leadership of the Party and the Government, the Public Security Force must co-operate with other sectors in building a solid all-people national security and defence body that is in harmony with national socio-economic development and foreign policy strategies.

Third, the Public Security Force must promote the people's role in protecting social order and security. Manh quoted President Ho Chi Minh: "Our police are the people's police. We must be at the service of the people and the people are our mainstay." He called on people from all walks of life to give more support to the security force's activities for the safety and security of society.

Finally, the Public Security Force must help build a strong Party. Every cell and committee affiliated to the Public Security Force must be pure and strong, he said.

Manh said the entire police force must follow President Ho Chi Minh's moral example and his teachings. He quoted: "The people's police are ready to sacrifice their lives for the homeland and for the people."

Addressing the congress, General Le Hong Anh, Politburo member and secretary of the Central Party Organisation of the Public Security Force, stressed: "We have made many good and strategic proposals to the Party and the Government on critical issues arising during the process of international integration and national development."

Among the senior Party and Government officials attending the congress were Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, also a politburo member; Truong Tan Sang, Political bureau member and permanent member of the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee; Truong Vinh Trong, Deputy Prime Minister and Politburo Bureau member; and Ho Duc Viet, Politburo member, secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of its Organisation Commission.

The Party Congress of the Public Security Force closes today.­ — VNS

Mr.Thanh

Viet Kieu begin to invest in VN property market

HA NOI — A large number of Viet Kieu (overseas Vietnamese) have started to invest in the Vietnamese real estate market.

Investments had become more diversified and stronger than ever, said Megagroup's Director Nguyen Xuan Chau.

Chau added that the trend had started around 10 years ago and really picked up over the past two years.

In 2010, he said, a series of resorts and ecological tourism projects were announced with a growing number of North American management and consultancy firms co-ordinating the projects.

To capitalise on this, Minh Viet Investment Joint Stock Company recently bought into the franchise of a famous foreign company in order to use its trademark to invest in Viet Nam's real estate market.

According to the com-pany's director Chi Edward, his company will use the trademark to do business in training and brokerage as well as managing and developing the real estate market in Viet Nam.

The company had previously invested in projects in Ha Noi, HCM City and the northern province of Quang Ninh.

As further proof, at the end of 2009, the director of Binh Thien An Joint Stock Company, Viet kieu Trinh Thanh Huy, decided to return from Russia and announced that his company was looking to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into the real estate market in HCM City.

Binh Thien An is currently involved with the Thao Dien Metropolice project in District 2 of HCM City.

In the second and third quarters of this year, many other tourism developments were announced by overseas Vietnamese investors from eastern Europe.

The Vietnamese real estate market was still young. It had a huge potential to attract investment from overseas Vietnamese, Chau said.

Referring to a recent survey, experts said the new trend would create competitiveness in the market which would help develop it further.

The survey was carried out at an international real estate exhibition with the participation of 46 countries.

The results showed that investment interest in the Vietnamese real estate market had grown by 20-30 per cent since 2008.

Another survey conducted by a British company also found that in the next two years, Viet Nam would become one of the top three markets of interest in the world. — VNS

Mr.thanh