Led by Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyễn Hồng Diên the Vietnamese delegation to the 54th ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting (AEM-54) contributed constructive ideas to strengthen economic cooperation among ASEAN member states in Cambodia last week.

Vietnam suggested the four countries strengthen cooperation, facilitate trade connections, and remove obstacles and barriers in order to further improve trade exchanges.

ASEAN is a community of people in Southeast Asia with hundreds of different ethnic groups, therefore, customs and practices are extremely diverse, creating a colorful and brilliant picture. At the same time, in the process of development, ASEAN countries had been invaded by Western powers, and have a history of intermingle between many cultures from countries inside and outside the region. In that context, regional cultures can be inevitably influenced and evolved differently.

Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, has encouraged ASEAN to expand trade within the framework of ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

China is an important trade partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and greater ASEAN-China economic cooperation could further promote peace and stability in region, Asian Development Bank (ADB) country director for Cambodia Jyotsana Varma said Wednesday.

With great potential and room to develop agriculture, ASEAN is looking to further promote local resources for rural economic development.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has decided to impose trade remedies against sugar products imported from five ASEAN countries that use Thai sugarcane.

There is still room for Vietnamese exports to grow in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) market, including rice, the country's major export. However, it is necessary for enterprises to review the import demand of each country, pay attention to brand building as well as enhance the competitiveness of Vietnamese rice, experts said.

The Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC) has urged US companies to set up factories in the Kingdom for US- and China-bound exports, so as to take full advantage of lower tariffs afforded by free trade agreements (FTA) currently in force, the CCC said in a May 14 statement.

In 2009, against the worst global economic crisis since the Great Depression, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) furthering its commitment to an open and integrated regional trade.