President Tran Duc Luong receives Malaysia's ex-PM Mahathir Mohamad in Hanoi.

The President made his comments yesterday while receiving former Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"We strongly believe that with great responsibility, co-operation and support from the whole community and the experience of organising big events such as the ASEAN-6 summit and 7th Francophony summit, that ASEM-5 will be successfully organised," said President Luong.

He briefed Dr Mahathir about the country's situation and its preparation for the meeting and pointed out that Vietnam acknowledged the responsibility that goes with organising the upcoming ASEM-5.

To prepare for the meeting, Vietnamese leaders held talks with many leaders from Europe and Asia to plan the agenda and reach agreement on the dialogue process.

The President affirmed the position of Vietnam and ASEAN countries that there is no discrimination against expanding ASEM to new member countries.

In speaking with Dr Mahathir, President Luong expressed his satisfaction at the expansion of bilateral ties between Vietnam and Malaysia and their contributions to the ASEAN community.

He said he was impressed with the successful administration in Malaysia, believing that the position and strength of Malaysia will be further reinforced allowing it to continue to make important contributions to the region and the world.

Dr Mahathir said his visit aimed to seek investment opportunities and a relationship with the Vietnamese Government as well as to further study Vietnamese preparations for the upcoming ASEM-5.

Dr Mahathir said with responsibility and support from the whole community, Vietnam will certainly hold a successful ASEM-5.

Later yesterday, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai received Dr Mahathir and his delegation, welcoming the visit and underscoring the important contributions made by the former PM to his country's economic development and relations, both regionally and globally.

Dr Mahathir expressed hope that Malaysia and Vietnam would continue to co-operate, especially in investment, trade and information exchange.

(Source: Viet Nam News)

Ha Noi, Sept. 18 (VNA) - On the eve of the 5th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) next month in Ha Noi, Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien, also vice chairman of the 5th ASEM National Organising Committee, spoke to Vietnam News Agency in an exclusive interview about the significance of the event.

Q: Co-operation in the ASEM has developed rapidly in the past eight years, based on three pillars: political dialogue, economic-financial co-operation and co-operation in other fields. Why, then, does the 5th ASEM summit have the theme, "Further Revitalising and Substantiating the Asia - Europe Partnership? Is this because past co-operation has not been as satisfactory as expected?

Looking back on the establishment and development of ASEM over the past eight years, we can say that the new partnership, based on mutual respect, benefit and equality between the two continents, has progressed alongside the establishment of the ASEM process, even though exchanges between Asia and Europe had been occurring for centuries.

After overcoming many initial difficulties, ASEM co-operation has developed dynamically and has attained many important achievements in terms of politics, economics, culture, and other fields, meeting the aspirations of people from both continents.

However, international and regional affairs have been changing rapidly, becoming ever more complicated. In the meantime, ASEM has faced many challenges, while co-operation, especially in terms of trade, remains modest and far below the rich potential of the two continents.

ASEM co-operation mainly takes the form of dialogue, and it has not yet attained the level of action and concrete pledges.

The admission of 13 new members will not only increase opportunities for co-operation, but will also give rise to demands for ASEM's renovation to develop further.

In this context, all ASEM members acknowledge that it now is time to make the Asia — Europe partnership more lively, and bring co-operation into a new stage of more in-depth, practical and effective development.

By doing that, the two continents will be able to fully tap their potentials and cope with emerging global challenges. In that spirit, ASEM members agreed with Viet Nam's proposed title for the meeting, "Further Revitalising and Substantialising the Asia - Europe Partnership."

To meet these expectations, member countries in the upcoming summit are expected to approve the Ha Noi Declaration on closer economic partnership between Asia and Europe, and the ASEM Statement on the dialogue of cultures and civilisations, in which the issue of making ASEM's economic co-operation more practical will be emphasised.

State leaders at the summit will meet directly with representatives from the ASEM Economic Specialising Team and the Asia-Europe Businesses Forum in order to field their suggestions to strengthen the ASEM economic link.

The Ha Noi summit is also aimed at outlining development strategies for the ASEM process, along with other issues, including renovating ASEM's operation mechanism in the wake of membership expansion, so as to enhance the vitality, attractiveness and contributions of ASEM for peace, stability and co-operation on the two continents and in the world.

With these facets, I do believe that the summit will have a significant contribution to the further development of the Asia-Europe Co-operation Forum.

Q: As a co-ordinator and host of the summit, what are Viet Nam's contributions to the meeting, and how will the country benefit?

Acknowledging that the 5th ASEM summit plays a very significant role in the Asia — Europe partnership, and also that it is the nation's most important event this year, Viet Nam began preparing for it at a very early stage.

We have worked closely with other ASEM members, as well making practical contributions in order to ensure that the meeting is a great landmark in the two continents' partnership development.
The first thing Viet Nam contributed to the meeting was the theme, which accurately reflects the expectations of members and the people.

Viet Nam proposed the approval of the Ha Noi Declaration on closer economic partnership as well as the ASEM Statement on the dialogue of cultures and civilisations.

We, in collaboration with other countries, have created a concise agenda, so that Asian and European leaders can work out specific measures to improve co-operation in all areas.

We have also suggested and co-authored many other initiatives.

The nation's other significant contribution was the expansion of ASEM membership. As a co-ordinator and host of the 5th ASEM summit, we have worked with other ASEM co-ordinators to persuade concerned parties to seek proper solutions to the problem of admitting new members.

With this success, the 5th ASEM summit will be the first expanded summit in nearly a decade, with the participation of 26 existing and 13 new members.

The meeting will be an important milestone in the co-operation between the two continents, and it will definitely strengthen the power and voice of ASEM in the international community.

Last but not least, it is worth mentioning our thorough preparatory work in terms of reception, logistics and security.

The work began a year and a half ago, when the Prime Minister set up a national committee for organising the event, with more than 14 related ministries and sectors participating.

We have completed this huge project on time, and ASEM members have spoken highly of our preparation efforts.

Preparing and organising one of the most important political events in the last 10 years has been a great challenge to Viet Nam. However, the success of the summit will create for us many opportunities, both tangible and intangible, which we should make use of to serve the country's development needs.

First and foremost, the 5th ASEM summit is evidence of the country's strong commitment to the ASEM process. It is an important step in Viet Nam's foreign policy, showing that we are ready to be a friend and reliable partner of other countries and to struggle for peace, independence and development.
The event will transform Viet Nam's image into that of a country of renewal, stability and involvement in international and regional integration.

The meeting will also be a good opportunity for the country to promote bilateral ties with ASEM members, especially big countries with important roles on both continents.

The State leaders of France, the Republic of Korea, China, Germany and Belgium will pay bilateral visit to the country. Thousands of representatives from every social stratum in Asia and Europe have been arriving and will arrive in Viet Nam to participate in a series of economic, political, cultural and social activities.

The 5th ASEM summit will be a good opportunity for the country to implement international economic integration, serving its targets of industrialisation and modernisation. The Asia-Europe market is a large one, accounting for 50 per cent of the global gross domestic product and 44 per cent of world trade. As a result, the event will be crucial to Viet Nam's economic development.

Sideline meetings between business and government leaders will be useful and necessary, helping to raise understanding and create incentives for Vietnamese businesses to penetrate into and seek a firm foothold in this market.

The summit will also be an opportunity for Viet Nam to further its foreign policy initiatives. It is a great event that will attract special attention from the world public, with about 2,000 domestic and foreign reporters expected to attend. It will be a good chance to introduce to friends over the world Viet Nam's renewal, stability and active international integration — a cultured, reliable partner and an attractive destination for business, investment and tourism.

The vast amounts of manpower and financial resources we have devoted to successfully organising the summit meeting will bolster international friends' and partners' confidence in Viet Nam's renewal and rapid economic development.--Enditem

As ASEM 5 is expected to welcome 2,000 delegates including hundreds of representatives of major firms in the world and reporters from 38 nations, Viet Nam will take this opportunity to improve relations with foreign partners.

Vietnamese products are still less competitive in the world market because almost all Vietnamese businesses lack experiences in advertising and marketing. Another reason is their out-of-date technology accompanying and low management capacity.

The EU is the biggest market of Viet Nam's footwear, accounting for 80 percent the country's footwear export value. Viet Nam earned 400 million USD from footwear exports to EU in the first quarter of this year, increasing 15 percent over the same period last year. However, the figures still fail to reflect the potential of both sides in this trade.

Viet Nam's textiles and garments account for only 0.95 percent of the EU's market share.

A major challenge to Viet Nam in attracting foreign visitors and businessmen are weaknesses in advertising the country to foreigners.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, by the end of March this year, 505 EU direct investment projects had been licensed in Viet Nam with a total investment capital of 8.35 billion USD, a modest figure as EU makes up 40 percent of the global trade and 50 percent of world Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

The Vietnamese Government will not fail to seize this opportunity. The government has assigned the Trade Ministry to work out proper policies to attract new EU members, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan has said. Viet Nam will create better investment conditions than other regional markets in order to lure more EU investors. Viet Nam will improve the legal system, reform administrative procedures and boost investment promotion in the near future, Khoan said.

The Deputy PM stressed that after EU's expansion, Viet Nam has opportunity to access the world biggest market with a 500-million population, representing 30 percent of the trade value, and 46 percent of the foreign direct investment in the world.-Enditem

(Source: VNA)

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan said the event will offer chances for international people's organisations to meet Vietnamese counterparts and discover more about Vietnamese history, culture, achievements, as well as challenges still facing its people.

"I am convinced the activities at the forum will facilitate open dialogues, exchanges of experiences and information, agreement on a common action plan and the, strengthening of co-operation in the interests of the peoples within ASEM," said the deputy PM.

This forum - with the theme of security for people in Asia and Europe - has attracted 500 participants representing 350 organisations from ASEM members.

Organised by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations and sponsored by ASEM members, the three-day event will conduct seminars on peace and security; economic and social security, and building democracy and human rights.

The forum aims to enhance mutual understanding, solidarity and joint-action through dialogues and discussions, and is expected to issue a final statement at Thursday's closing ceremony.

This fifth people's forum follows the first held in Bangkok in 1996, London in 1998, Seoul in 2000 and Copenhagen in 2002.

It has become an important activity for people's organisations from ASEM members to enhance solidarity and co-operation among people's organisations for peace, national independence, equitable and sustainable development, democracy and social progress.

Current ASEM members are the fifteen EU Member States and with ten Asian countries (Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

(Source: Viet Nam News)