Vietnam’s Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang presided over the 16th unofficial meeting of the ASEAN Economic Ministers, which took place in Putrajay, Malaysia, from February 27-28.

This was the first ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting in 2010 to define major plans, orientations and measures to strengthen links in and outside of the bloc.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister Hoang emphasised ASEAN’s first priority to fully implement economic co-operative commitments and programmes within the bloc with a view to establishing an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.

The AEC not only helps ASEAN take the best use of its advantages but also is an essential step to strengthen its prestige and position in the world, he said.

At the meeting, ministers discussed ASEAN’s economic co-operative orientations for 2010, focusing on implementing its important agreements such as the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA) and a protocol to implement the seventh package of commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services.

The ministers also discussed issues relating to the implementation of commitments in the framework of free trade areas (FTA) between ASEAN and its regional partners.

They applauded Vietnam’s proposal for building a draft on the Leaders’ Declaration on Restoration and Sustainable Development at the 16th ASEAN Economic Leaders’ Meeting to be held in Hanoi from April 7-9. (VNA)