Regional economic integration to top ASEAN summit agenda
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The economic integration will top the agenda of the upcoming 16th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with five years left ahead of the bloc's goal to realize a regional community, an ASEAN official said on Tuesday.
The ASEAN senior officials' preparatory meetings ended in Hanoi on Tuesday, paving way for the coming ministerial meetings and leaders' meeting slated for later this week.
Le Quang Lan, an official of Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade who chaired the meeting, said the discussion was focused on directions to deepen economic integration within ASEAN members in terms of trade in goods, services and investment, aiming to establish the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.
The implementation of the free trade area (FTA) between ASEAN countries and dialogue partners will also be highlighted during the summit and related meetings, said Lan.
Senior officials also expressed support to the draft of two ASEAN Leaders' statements on joint response to climate Change and on sustained recovery and development, which would be part of the main outcomes of the summit.
The drafts will reaffirm ASEAN's determination to overcome the impact of the global financial crisis and to sustain economic growth.
The officials also reviewed the progress of the implementation of the social and cultural community blueprint, with priorities to promote the development of human resources, increasing social welfare for children and women, and booting cultural cooperation in the region.
The 16th ASEAN summit will be held from April 8 to 9 in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi.
The ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
