Opening of the 44th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting
On August 27, the 44th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Ministers Meeting (AEM 44) officially opened in Siem Reap city, Cambodia.
The conference focused on discussing measures and plans to promote intra-bloc economic integration, towards the goal of establishing the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 and promoting world economic cooperation.
Conference scene. (Photo: Xuan Khu/Vietnam+)..
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen; ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan and economic leaders of the 10 ASEAN member countries attended the opening session.
Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang led the Vietnamese delegation to attend the 44th AEM conference and related conferences between ASEAN and its partners.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen emphasized the importance of AEM 44 to ASEAN in the process of development, cooperation and economic integration, especially in the context of ASEAN's efforts to realize the goal of establishing the ASEAN Community by 2015.
According to Mr. Hun Sen, one of the top priorities of AEM 44 and related conferences is to promote the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community, by turning ASEAN into a unified market and production base.
In addition, AEM 44 needs to discuss and propose measures to maintain and strengthen ASEAN's central role in the regional and global economic cooperation structure. ASEAN countries also need to promote the continued narrowing of the development gap between members of the bloc.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen stressed that to achieve the goal of establishing the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015, cooperation at the government level is not enough. There needs to be broader participation of relevant components at all levels, especially the participation and support of the private sector, and all ASEAN people.
Within the framework of AEM 44 and related conferences, economic leaders of ASEAN countries will have discussions and multilateral and bilateral meetings to discuss measures to promote economic cooperation and trade liberalization with economic partners such as the US, China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, India, Canada and Russia./.
According to VNA - NT
