The 26th ASEAN Summit officially opens.

According to the VNA special correspondent, on the morning of April 27, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and the high-level Vietnamese delegation attended the opening ceremony of the 26th ASEAN Summit.

Overview of the Opening Ceremony. Photo: Duc Tam/TTXVN

In his opening remarks at the conference, the Prime Minister of host country Malaysia and Chairman of the 26th ASEAN Summit, Najib Tun Razak, affirmed that 2015 would be a historic milestone for ASEAN as the prospect of forming the ASEAN Community would become a reality.

This will serve as a foundation for the 10 Southeast Asian nations to strengthen solidarity and deepen integration over the next 10 years.

Prime Minister Najib Razak stated that ASEAN's goal this year is to be people-centered, so that every citizen feels like they are part of the ASEAN Community.

Therefore, each country needs good governance, further improving the living standards of its people, sustainable development, and a people-centered ASEAN must act in the best interests of the ASEAN people.

Prime Minister Najib Razak also expressed his views on resolving differences and disputes in the region and emphasized the need for early progress towards a conclusion on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).

“While we remain committed to staying together and cooperating with countries outside ASEAN, we need to resolve differences peacefully in our region, including overlapping maritime claims, without escalating tensions. Recent developments have heightened concerns about the South China Sea and highlighted the importance of international shipping lanes for international trade. It is natural that anything that happens here attracts attention. Therefore, ASEAN must proactively address these developments, but in a constructive and positive way. Respect for international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), must be the foundation of the rules governing cooperation and activities in the South China Sea. As the ASEAN Chair, Malaysia hopes to make progress in efforts to achieve the Code of Conduct (COC) as soon as possible,” said Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Following the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and other ASEAN leaders attended the plenary session, focusing on discussing directions and measures to further promote the formation of the ASEAN Community by 2015; building a vision for the ASEAN Community after 2015; improving the organizational structure and working methods; discussing the Association's external relations; ASEAN's central role; challenges facing ASEAN and how to address them; and exchanging views on regional and international situations.

In addition to the Chairman's Statement, ASEAN leaders are expected to adopt three documents: the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on a People-Centered ASEAN; the Langkawi Declaration on the Global Moderation Movement; and the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Institutionalizing ASEAN, Communities and People's Resilience to Disasters and Climate Change.

The leaders of the 10 ASEAN countries will also attend the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Council meeting and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council meeting.

The 26th ASEAN Summit was the first Summit during Malaysia's 2015 ASEAN Chairmanship, themed "Our People, Our Community, Our Vision," and identified eight priority areas for the Chairmanship year: Preparing for the formation of the ASEAN Community by December 31, 2015; Completing the drafting of the ASEAN Community Vision after 2015; Strengthening ASEAN institutions; Bringing ASEAN people closer together; Enhancing cooperation among small and medium-sized enterprises; Expanding intra-ASEAN trade and investment; Promoting regional peace and security; and Enhancing ASEAN's global role.

According to Vietnam+