The meeting will give Vietnam a chance to affirm its role and status in the international arena after the country successfully performed its role as 2010 ASEAN Chair.

As ASEAN COST Chair for the 2011-2012 term, Vietnam will continue to boost scientific and technological cooperation between ASEAN nations in the context of the bloc’s deep integration in the areas of politics, economics, socio-culture, and science and technology.

The focus of AMMST-14 and COST-62 will be on enhancing scientific and technological cooperation within the ASEAN towards building an ASEAN community by 2015 based on the three pillars: ASEAN Political and Security Community (APSC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC).

Delegates will review the results of scientific and technological cooperation programs between ASEAN nations since the 6th Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology (IAMMST) held in Krabi, Thailand last December, and will discuss the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science and Technology (APAST) for 2012-2017.

They will compare notes on issues of special interest such as ensuring food security until 2013, the early warning system for mitigating natural disasters, bio-fuels, climate change from now to 2015, and the implementation of Krabi initiative: Science Technology and Innovation (STI) for a Competitive, Sustainable and Inclusive ASEAN.

Since its admission to ASEAN, Vietnam has actively joined the bloc’s scientific and technological cooperation activities. The country has fulfilled its obligation as an ASEAN member nation and contributed to the ASEAN Science Fund (ASF).

As of March 2011, the country contributed US$1 million to the US$10.5 million fund.