Indonesian President Susilo Yudhoyono on April 8 received new ASEAN
Secretary General Le Luong Minh, who succeeded Surin Pitsuwan from
Thailand.
The two leaders discussed bilateral,
regional and global issues of mutual concern, including regional
connectivity and integration, and increased cooperation between the
ASEAN Secretariat and Indonesia to help realise the ASEAN Community
by 2015.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony on
January 9, Minh said ASEAN needs to step up efforts towards an early
start of negotiations with China with a view to achieving an early
conclusion of a Code of Conduct on the East Sea .
Minh also stressed that it is time for ASEAN member nations to enhance
investment, labour, commodities and services to meet current global
challenges.
According to Minh, ASEAN has achieved
the establishment of a free trade area since 2010 allowing for free
flow of goods within the region. Thanks to this, intra-ASEAN trade saw
an increase of 25.4 percent in 2012, which has a positive imp act on
member countries.-VNA