At the 14th ASEAN Summit in Hua Hin, Thailand, which will open on February 28, Australia and New Zealand will recognize the full Market Economy Status for Vietnam.

Hua Hin, Thailand, where the 14th ASEAN Summit will open on February 28.

Australia and New Zealand will be the two first countries recognizing the market economy status for Vietnam after Vietnam became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The Vietnamese delegation, led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, will focus on the priorities to enforce unity and cooperation within ASEAN and promoting the implementation of the ASEAN Charter.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung and ASEAN senior officials will discuss the direction and measures to promote ASEAN cooperation, concentrating on the following contents: implementing the ASEAN Charters, speeding up the construction of the ASEAN Community, the global financial crisis, cooking and energy security, natural disaster control and mitigation, and promoting the relationships between ASEAN and outside partners.

At the ASEAN Summit, leaders will sign the Statement on the itinerary to build the ASEAN Community (2009-2015).

They will also ratify significant documents, such as the comprehensive plan on the development of the ASEAN politic-security and cultural-social communities, the working plan for the second phase (2009-2015) on narrowing the gap of development, the statement on the implementation of the millennium goals in ASEAN, and the statement on food security in ASEAN.

Besides official sessions, PM Nguyen Tan Dung and ASEAN leaders will participate in dialogue sessions and unofficially meet with the Alliance of ASEAN Parliaments, ASEAN youth representatives, and some social organizations.

The 14^th ASEAN Summit is the first summit after the ASEAN Charter takes effect and ASEAN is speeding up the construction of the ASEAN Community by 2015.

ASEAN cooperation is strategic significant to Vietnam. After 15 years joining the association, Vietnam’s policy is actively, positively and responsibly participating in ASEAN cooperation.

XL