VietNamNet Bridge – The Russian and American Foreign Ministers will return to Hanoi next week as the “special guests” of Vietnam – ASEAN Chairman 2010 - at the fifth East Asia Summit (EAS).

Russian Foreign Minister in Hanoi in July 2010

EAS will be one of the 11 ASEAN meetings that will be held from October 28-30 in Hanoi, during the ASEAN Summit 2010, said Deputy Foreign Minister Dao Viet Trung at a press conference on October 20.

The 17th ASEAN summit will be the region's most important meeting of the year where top regional leaders will meet with all of their partners, Trung emphasised.

Leaders of the 10 regional member countries and senior officials of the region's partners will arrive in Hanoi on October 25 for the preparatory meetings taking place from October 26-27.

The EAS will be held as part of the general ASEAN meetings. The EAS, which started in Kuala Lumpur in 2005, will see its greatest participation yet as the leaders of the 10 regional members will meet with their partners: China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, Russia and the US.

The focus of next week's discussions will be on accelerating the building of an ASEAN community and on implementing the ASEAN Charter, as well as on measures to strengthen relations between the ASEAN and its partners.

The leaders and senior officials from 18 countries and the UN will discuss measures to boost co-operation in responding to global challenges and exchange views on international and regional issues of common concern.

The ASEAN leaders will adopt joint statements, which will include a master plan on ASEAN connectivity—an important element to help develop the region and build the ASEAN community by 2015, said Trung.

The joint statements put forth by Vietnam pertain to developing human resources for economic recovery and sustainable development, and the Ha Noi Declaration which promotes welfare and development of women and children.

"The Vietnamese initiatives are supported by the regional countries as they are another step toward regional economic recovery and sustainable development, as well as means of strengthening the ASEAN," said Trung.

Under Vietnam's ASEAN chairmanship, Hanoi hosted the 16th summit in April, and many other related meetings were held throughout the year.

Xuan Linh