Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is confident of a successful term ahead as Vietnam assumes the role President of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) beginning January 1, 2010.

The Government leader pledged to mobilise all available resources to fulfil the task in a speech delivered on December 31. He stated:

“Vietnam will hold the position of the ASEAN President [for] one year from January 1, 2010. It is also the year when Vietnam will mark its 15th anniversary of the ASEAN membership. It is a great honour but also a huge responsibility. We [are] well prepared and [are] now ready to fulfil the task in the best possible way.”

“Experiencing over 40 years of development, ASEAN has so far turned itself into a dynamic growing bloc of ten members in Southeast Asia, which have cooperated in a large range of areas, politically, economically, culturally and socially. The organisation has made considerable contributions to strengthening and developing peace, stability and co-operation in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific. In addition, ASEAN has established trustworthy partnerships with all giant nations and important blocs in the world as well as played an important role in regional and international frameworks of co-operation.”

“Vietnam has placed relations with ASEAN a strategic priority, considering it a motivation and a major backup to the national construction and defence. We always respect ASEAN co-operation as an important part of the nation’s multilateral and diversified external policy towards regional and global integration. Over the past 15 years, we have always taken part and made considerable contributions to the association. In the new stage, we plan to join in ASEAN co-operation in the principle of ‘active, initiative and responsible,’ thus contributing to turning ASEAN into a closer and stronger alliance.”

“Vietnam holds the position of ASEAN President at a point the grouping is entering a new stage of development, a transitional year of the five-year roadmap towards an ASEAN Community by 2015. The Charter and the Roadmap towards the ASEAN Community, which have been overwhelmingly approved by ASEAN leaders, have become a vision and framework of action for ASEAN. Its overall goal is to build the ASEAN Community on the basis of the three pillars of politics-security, economy and socio-culture and translate the ASEAN Charter into reality. That is the reason for member countries to overwhelmingly agree with Vietnam on the theme of the ASEAN presidency year-2010 ‘Looking towards ASEAN Community: From Vision to Action.’ It will be the ASEAN’s policy throughout 2010.”

“Prompted from this orientation, Vietnam will focus and prioritise the ASEAN presidency year-2010 on strengthening ASEAN solidarity and alliance, implementing in an effective way the Charter and Roadmap towards an ASEAN Community, promoting in both width and depth relations with dialogue partners and promoting and increasing ASEAN’s international prestige. Other priorities include stronger co-operation within ASEAN and between ASEAN and dialogue partners in coping with global challenges such as [the] economic and financial crisis, food and energy security, climate change, natural disasters and epidemics”.

“Along with holding the position of ASEAN President, 2010 will also be a year of numerous major domestic and diplomatic events for Vietnam, especially the grand celebration of the Thang Long-Hanoi Millennium Anniversary. For this reason, we should take advantage of major ASEAN events in Vietnam to promote the national image on land, people, cultural traditions and history as well as the national potential. We should also promote the image of a Vietnam making progress in renewal and in dynamic growth with socio-political stability and pursuing an external policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship and co-operation with all other countries as well as taking initiative in global integration.”

“The Vietnamese Government and people are highly determined and will mobilise all necessary resources to fulfil the task of the ASEAN President in an effort to leave impression on Vietnam in all fields, from the content of activities to information campaigns, logistics and security. I earnestly call on ministries, industries and local administrations, especially the National Committee for ASEAN-2010, to further uphold the sense of responsibility, activeness, flexibility and creativeness in order to fulfil the task and targets.”

“On behalf of the Government and people of Vietnam, which will hold the ASEAN Presidency, I would like to take this opportunity to convey a message of peace, solidarity, friendship and co-operation for development to leaders and people of ASEAN member countries, the bloc’s partners and international friends. An ASEAN making great efforts to build a common community is in need of assistance and support from you all in the interest of peace, stability and development in the region and the world as a whole. I also expect strong support for Vietnam from other ASEAN members, partners and the international community to make the ASEAN Presidency Year-2010 a great success.”

Dung concluded his speech with best wishes for a successful New Year to ASEAN. (VNA)