Vietnam's ASEAN representative presents credentials

Jakarta (VNA) - Vietnam 's permanent representative to ASEAN, Ambassador Vu Dang
Dung, presented his credentials to ASEAN Secretary-General, Surin Pitsuwan in
Jakarta on Feb. 19.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Dung confirmed that the Vietnamese government
appreciated the important role played by the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) in the region. Vietnam has pledged to actively participate in
and contribute to ASEAN cooperation and the implementation of agreements reached
by the organisation, he added.

The Vietnamese Ambassador stressed that, with the establishment of the ASEAN
charter, which became effective as from Dec. 15, 2008, ASEAN has entered a new
phase, one characterized by closer integration.

The successful and early establishment of Vietnam's, as well as other ASEAN member
states', permanent missions to ASEAN to bring the ASEAN Committee of Permanent
Representatives into operation will strengthen the bloc's unity and promote ASEAN
cooperation, helping it to meet its target of building an ASEAN community by 2015.


Ambassador Dung pledged to cooperate with other ASEAN members' permanent
missions and the ASEAN Secretariat to successfully complete the work of the
Committee of Permanent Representatives.

ASEAN Secretary-General, Surin Pitsuwan, welcomed the appointment of Vietnam 's
permanent representative to ASEAN. Vietnam is only the second country after
Singapore to have done so.

He affirmed the important role played by Vietnam and praised its active
contribution to promoting ASEAN cooperation.

In a recent interview conducted by the Vietnamese News Agency regarding the
appointment of Vietnam 's first ambassador and permanent representative to ASEAN,
Ambassador Dung said that with the establishment and operation of Vietnam 's
permanent mission to ASEAN in 2009, the country is urgently preparing to assume
office as ASEAN's chairman during 2010.

Dung said that the Vietnamese mission will work closely with relevant agencies and
ministries as well as the ASEAN Secretariat to ensure that Vietnam actively
and effectively participates in ASEAN programmes during the course of this year,
focusing on preparations for its leaders to attend a series of major ASEAN events.


They include the 14 th ASEAN Summit in February, ASEAN plus one and ASEAN plus 3
high-level meetings and the 4 th high-level East Asia meeting in April, the 15 th
ASEAN Summit in October, the 42nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related
meetings in July, and meetings of ASEAN Foreign Ministers and their dialogue
partners.-Enditem