A book titled Narrowing the Development Gap in ASEAN: Drivers andPolicy Options was launched at the ASEAN Secretariat headquarters inJakarta on May 17.

The book is a collaborativeeffort between ASEAN and the Australian Agency for InternationalDevelopment (AusAID) within the framework of the second phase of theASEAN-Australia Development Cooperation Programme.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minhunderscored the significance of the book at a time when the ten-nationgroup has two years left to build the ASEAN Community, which isscheduled to be formed by 2015.

The book assists ASEANin its mid-term assessment of the implementation of connectivity andintegration programmes as well as in building plans, measures andpolicies to follow the regional integration roadmap over the next twoyears, especially in narrowing the development gap, he said.

While affirming ASEAN’s efforts and achievements in narrowing the gap,Minh laid special emphasis on the need for the bloc to pay moreattention to creating an equal and competitive economic region forsustainable development.

ASEAN member countries needto maintain their long-term goals and commitments on sustainable andequal economic development while narrowing the development gap atnational and regional levels, especially in healthcare, education andincome, he stressed.

Ambassador Vu Dang Dung, Head ofVietnam’s Permanent Representative Mission to ASEAN and Chair of theInitiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Task Force, highly valuedAusAID’s assistance in compiling the book, which he said, collectsresearch on difficulties, challenges and the potential of ASE AN innarrowing the development gap.

The book also introduceinitiatives, measures and policies to help ASEAN member countriesdevelop in a faster and fairer manner while boosting connectivity andhuman resource development.-VNA