Dung takes notable role in ASEM summit

The  summit opened on October 4-5 in Brussels will be attended by leaders of states and governments from 27 European Union (EU) member countries, 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members and six other Asian nations including Japan, China, South Korea, India, Mongolia and Pakistan.

Sustainable energy development was a key issue on the table

Three other countries will join the summit for the first time this year, including Russia, Australia and New Zealand.

ASEM leaders will focus their discussions on peace and international safety promotion concerning issues regarding to the improvement of people’s living standards and sustainable development in terms of energy and food security, environmental protection, climate change response, green growth and anti-terrorism.

With the number of member countries expanded to nearly 50, ASEM represents 60 per cent of the world’s population, 55 per cent in gross domestic product and 65 per cent in global trade.

Vietnam is one of the founders of ASEM and is considered an important stage to improve the country’s international status and bilateral and multilateral relations.

Vietnam was also the hosting country for several important ASEM events during the past years, including the 3rd ASEM Economic Ministerial summit in 2001, the 5th ASEM summit in 2004, the 9th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ summit in 2009 and the 2nd ASEM Education Ministers’ summit in 2009.

Since the 7th ASEM summit, Vietnam have also proposed and successfully developed four ASEM cooperation initiatives which were the ASEM seminar on Overcoming the Crisis – Shaping Sustainable Development in the New Context in April 2010, ASEM forum on Sustainable Food Security and ASEM forum on the Adaptation to Climate Change.