He said the 38th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM-38) spent much time reviewing the implementation of the decisions made at the 10th ASEAN Summit, the Vientiane Action Plan (VAP), and plans of action concerning the building of an ASEAN Security Community, an ASEAN Economic Community, and an ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, and the implementation of the Initiative on ASEAN Integration.

FM Nien noted that the AMM-38 agreed upon a series of measures to speed up the implementation of these plans and programmes and to increase the group's cooperation.

The participants agreed the ASEAN will in the coming time make more efforts to narrow the development gap among member countries. The group should assist less-developed member countries in playing a greater role in regional coordination, which is crucial in turning the VAP, and other programmes to build an ASEAN Community, into deeds, FM Nien told the VNA.

In addition, the AMM-38 agreed on the establishment of the ASEAN Development Fund to fund the successful implementation of the VAP by 2010 as set forth, Nien said.

He added that ASEAN Foreign Ministers signed an agreement on natural calamity management and emergency response to facilitate coordination among the group's member countries in responding to natural disasters and weather changes.

On politics, the AMM-38 agreed that establishing an ASEAN Charter will take a long time and needs to maintain the association's principles and fundamental rules, FM Nien told the VNA.

At the meeting, Foreign Ministers of ASEAN and its three East Asian dialogue partners - China, Japan and the Republic of Korea - agreed on the need to maintain and strengthen the ASEAN+3 mechanism, saying it is fundamental for forming an East Asia Community.

The Foreign Ministers from these countries were satisfied with the progress made in the ASEAN+3 mechanism, particularly the execution of short and medium term recommendations proposed by the East Asia research group. They shared the same view that the implementation of these recommendations should be accelerated so they can be completed before 2007, the year that will mark the 10th anniversary of ASEAN+3 cooperation.

FM Nien further added that his counterparts from East Asia expressed support for the ASEAN's leading role in East Asia cooperation and endorsed the group's decision to invite India, Australia and New Zealand to attend the first East Asia Summit that will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in December this year.

On ASEAN's challenges in building an ASEAN Community by 2010, FM Nien said the hardest difficulty facing ASEAN nowadays is the development gap among member countries and with other countries outside the group.

Therefore, the Vietnamese diplomat stressed, narrowing the development gap inside ASEAN is considered a high priority of the group and will help in forming a strong, dynamic and sustainable ASEAN Community.

FM Nien said the group should unceasingly reform its working methods to make its operations more effective and to meet the requirements of the ongoing coordination process in the group.

In the light that the world is changing in a complicated manner with unexpected challenges lying ahead, ASEAN should be very dynamic and active to safeguard its central role in the coming time, Nien noted.

Regarding Viet Nam's contributions to the meetings, FM Nien said the meetings took place at a time when the country was celebrating the 10th anniversary of its accession to the ASEAN. Over the past ten years, Viet Nam has affirmed its role in the association, and its prestige at regional and international forums has been improved greatly.

The country has made practical contributions to major issues that have strategic significance to the future development of the group, particularly in building the ASEAN Charter, he said.

The FM added that Viet Nam has received support from ASEAN members and partner countries to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and become President of the Council of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in the 33rd tenure.

Viet Nam, together with other ASEAN member countries, discussed ways to promote cooperation among ASEAN + 3, as well as cooperation between ASEAN and other dialogue partners.

We were proud of Viet Nam's recognised role in and its contributions to the common success of the association, FM Nien said.