The Head of SOM Vietnam, Pham Quang Vinh, said at the meeting that as President of ASEAN 2010, Vietnam will give priority to promoting economic cooperation on the theme ‘From vision to action’.

In the second year of implementing the ASEAN chapter, Vietnam will propose ideas and initiatives and preside over the drafting of important documents for ASEAN. The country will coordinate cooperative activities between regional countries, provide consultancy and combine the proposals of the countries in dealing with emerging regional and international issues. Vietnam will also represent ASEAN at some major regional and international forums.

At the SOM, officials continued to affirm that this year, ASEAN is entering a new phase of development toward an ASEAN community in 2015. Six of the more developed countries in ASEAN have applied a zero tax rate on most trade products, while the rest of the ASEAN countries – Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar – will do the same in 2015.

ASEAN meetings on political and security communities and coordination of community will be held together with the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Danang.