Attending the meeting, coorganised by UNESCO and Viet Nam's National Commission for UNESCO, were Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem and Chairman of the UNESCO Executive Board Zhang Xinsheng.

The four-day meeting aims to specify challenges, opportunities and common demands of the region as well as the world in the coming time and make suggestions for the development of UNESCO's six-year strategy for the period 2008-2013 and its budget programme for the 2008-2009 period.

The meeting will also review UNESCO's activities over the past 60 years and discuss measures to boost its reform and improve its role and effectiveness in the future.

Deputy Prime Minister Khiem spoke highly of the cooperation between Viet Nam and UNESCO in improving educational quality, building a learning society, acquiring new scientific and technological achievements, preserving cultural and natural values and protecting the environment.

UNESCO's forums have created more opportunities for Viet Nam to join hands in addressing humankind's common issues, and to expand and consolidate the mutual friendship and cooperation with other countries in the region as well as in the world, Khiem said./.