(VOVworld) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Luong Thanh Nghi has chaired a ceremony in Canberra on Thursday to mark the 49th anniversary of ASEAN.
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| Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia and Attorney-General for Australia George Brandis. (Photo: Sao Bang/VNA) |
Ambassador Nghi underscored the importance of this year’s celebration which marked the first milestone after the ASEAN Community was established last November.
Over the half past century, ASEAN has become the world’s seven biggest economy with total GDP reaching 2.5 trillion USD and a potential market with a population of more than 620 million people.
Ambassador Nghi noted that the strategic partnership between ASEAN and Australia has witnessed positive progress, especially since the first ASEAN-Australia summit was held in Laos early this month where participants agreed to organize such an event every two years. The meeting will offer an opportunity for leaders of both sides to discuss ways to boost cooperation and ensure regional security safety and prosperity.
The Vietnamese diplomat said the strategic partnership is a foundation for ASEAN and Australia to enhance bilateral cooperation in trade, security, education, and to work with each other to resolve regional challenges including navigation security, terrorism, trans-national crimes, and human trafficking.