He made the appeal at opening session of the ACMECS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bangkok on Nov. 2.

Counterparts from Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos described Nien's call as practical and effective in dealing with bird flu, which is spreading far and wide throughout the world, possibly causing adverse affects on the global economy, as well as ACMECS member economies.

The Vietnamese diplomat emphasised the need to increase bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the fight against avian flu and other infectious diseases.

The Vietnamese official briefed his colleagues of the measures employed by the Vietnamese Government to prevent a pandemic.

He affirmed: "Viet Nam is willing to share its experiences drawn from the fight against dangerous epidemic diseases, including bird flu and the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)."

Apart from stressing the need to promote cooperation in combating bird flu, FM Nien also voiced the necessity to broaden group cooperation in the areas of healthcare, energy, tourism, trade and investment.

The ACMECS Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in anticipation for the second ACMECS Summit on Nov. 3, which will see the attendance of Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai among regional heads of States./.