The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) opened an annual security policy conference (ASPC) in the central city of Da Nang on May 19, with the Vietnamese Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh in the chair.
ASEAN – 40 years of development and co-operation
The event drew representatives from 26 countries, the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat.
Participants discussed measures to promote ARF potential in solving non-traditional challenges to regional security and heard reports on national security policy voluntarily delivered by individual members.
Efforts have been made to balance differences in the stances of member countries and gear ARF to peace, security, cooperation and development in Asia and the Pacific.
In the capacity of ARF chair for the 2009-10 term, Vietnam worked with India in holding meetings on more practical cooperation among ARF members in coping with non-traditional challenges to security, climate change and other fields in the interest of peace, stability and development in the region and the world as a whole.
ARF, established in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 25, 1994, is the principal forum for security dialogue in Asia.
It draws together 26 countries, which have a bearing of security of the Asian-Pacific region, and the European Union, including 10 ASEAN members and 10 ASEAN dialogue partners.
Source: VOV
