Asean leaders discuss stronger cooperative ties

Asean leaders discuss stronger cooperative ties

HANOI (Xinhua) -- The 16th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) opened on Thursday afternoon with all Asean leaders attending the opening ceremony at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi, Vietnam, except for Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh ( left ) is greeted by his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung prior to the 16th Asean Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Thursday. --Photo AP

Abhisit has cancelled his scheduled trip to Vietnam due to the Red-Shirt protests in Bangkok. The Thai government declared a state of emergency in Bangkok on Wednesday to control the mass anti-government rallies.

The two-day Asean Summit is the first high-level event this year as Vietnam holds the bloc's presidency.

The summit will focus on measures to enhance solidarity and cooperation within the group, effectively implement the Asean Charter and roadmaps for building the Asean Community, as well as deepen Asean's cooperative ties with partners.

At the opening speech, Nguyen Tan Dung, Vietnamese prime minister and chairman of the 16th Asean Summit, said Asean has entered a new stage of development, steadily moving towards the realisation of the Asean Community by 2015 and operating on a legal foundation as provided for by the Asean Charter.

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Vientiane Times