At the event, part of a joint project by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to support Viet Nam in enhancing its international integration capacity, participants discussed development directions after 2015 in three community pillars of political and security cooperation, economic integration, and socio-cultural cooperation.

On the post-2015 Political-Security Community development, participants stressed that the bloc should focus on ensuring an environment of peace, security and stability in the region.

ASEAN should continue consolidating intra-bloc solidarity, building trust and effectively deal with both inside and outside challenges, continuing efforts to uphold its central role in the solving of regional matters as well as regional architecture, they said.

Regarding the Economic Community, they stated ASEAN should continue speeding up the building of a common market and stepping up trade facilitation process, making it easier to undertake dialogue with partners.

The association should focus on strengthen economic connectivity among members by enhancing infrastructure, they said, adding that ASEAN should pay attention on sustainable development such as green growth, business responsibility and energy safety.

Additionally, ASEAN should continue strengthening areas directly connecting to people’s interest such as increasing access to social welfare, human development, and climate change and natural disaster response, they claimed.

Participants also gave many practical opinions for the enhancement of the engagement of Vietnam’s ministries and sectors to the policy designing and direction outlining process of ASEAN in the future.