Hanoi to Host Five ASEAN Meetings

Hanoi will host five meetings of senior officials from member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from July 23-28, says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam.

It announced that all the five meetings deal with issues relating to unity, stability, and the expansion of co-operation.

They include the 34th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM-34) which will be held on July 23 and 24; the meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers and three dialogue partners of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ASEAN+3 Meeting) on July 24; the eighth meeting of foreign ministers of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF-8) on July 25; the meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers and ten dialogue partners and each dialogue partner (PMC+10) and (PMC+1) on July 26 and 27; and the second ministers' conference on Mekong-Ganga co-operation (MGC) on July 28.

Participants in these annual meetings will discuss regional as well as world political situations and security, review the implementation of agreements reached at the previous meetings and work out tasks for the future.

Concrete measures to strengthen peace, stability and growth in the region as well as implementation of initiatives and economic co-operation programmes among ASEAN countries and between ASEAN and dialogue partners, and regional and international organisations will also be discussed at these meetings.

AMM-34 is expected to approve the Hanoi Declaration on ASEAN joint efforts in narrowing the development gap for dynamic and sustainable growth, launch the implementation of the East-West Corridor and the Mekong River Basin development programmes. Meanwhile, ARF-8 will issue the ARF president's statement and adopt documents on concepts and principles on pre-emptive diplomacy and strengthening of the ARF president's role.

MGC will develop programmes and enhance co-operation among countries sharing the Mekong River Basin region: Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and India. It will approve the Hanoi Programme of Action and co-operation agreements in tourism, cultural heritage preservation, training, communications and human resources development.








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