(VOVworld) - Conferences on boosting intra-ASEAN trade and investment to turn the bloc in to a free trade and unified investment market have opened in Siem Reap, Cambodia within the framework of the 44th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting.

Speaking at the opening of the ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting and preliminary events on Monday, the host country’s Prime Minister Hun Sen stressed the meeting’s priority to realize the goal of forming the ASEAN community by 2015. This is a premise for ASEAN to become a unified and free market for goods, services, investment, and high quality labors.

Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade, Vu Huy Hoang, pledged to work with other ASEAN countries to boost regional economic integration. The country has taken the lead in applying the ASEAN one-door customs initiative. Minister Hoang said Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements since it joined the ASEAN over the last 17 years have proved the effectiveness of regional economic integration. “Vietnam has seen visible outcomes in its economy such as increasing revenues with 9 other ASEAN countries. Investment from other countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia to Vietnam has increased. Vietnam has gained more experience for negotiating and making plans for international economic integration.”

Minister Hoang said the most important task is to work out measures to overcome difficulties in face of the slow global economy recovering. This issue will be raised at the 21^st ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in November.