Deputy PM Khiem to join ASEAN activities

Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem will lead the Vietnamese delegation to the 41st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM-41), the Post Ministerial Conference (PMC) and the 15th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF-15) from July 20-24.

ASEAN foreign ministers are scheduled to discuss regional and world
issues, including assisting victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar , food and energy security, and financial cooperation.

They will also discuss preparations for the ASEAN Charter, which will take effect on January 1, 2009, alongside narrowing the development gap in the bloc from 2009-2015 and reviewing implementation of the Vientiane Action Plan (VAP).

According to deputy director of the Foreign Ministry's ASEAN Department Nguyen Xuan Thuy, Vietnam plans to contribute to common activities to boost solidarity and internal linkage, actively complete preparations for the ASEAN Charter, and speed up the construction of ASEAN political-security and social-cultural community.

The first meeting of the High Level Panel (HLP) on the ASEAN Human Rights Body (AHRB) and the ASEAN High Level Legal Experts' Group (HLEG) is also scheduled to be held.

The meetings will prepare issues to be submitted to the 14th ASEAN Summit in Thailand during December.

Meetings between ASEAN and dialogue partners will review their cooperation activities, focusing on implementing agreements, boosting trade and economic cooperation and solving transnational issues.

At the PMC, Vietnam and Canada will co-chair the ASEAN-Canada
dialogue. At the ARF, Vietnam will accept ARF Vice Presidency from
Thailand and hold the position until the end of 2009.

On the sidelines of those activities, Deputy PM Khiem plans to have
bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Russia , the EU, Sri Lanka , Laos , Canada and China.-