Jakarta (VNA) – A Vietnamese delegation led byAmbassador Nguyen Hoanh Nam, head of the Vietnamese Mission to ASEAN, attendedthe third meeting in 2017 of the ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC)and related meetings in Manila, the Philippines from October 4-5.

Reviewing the progress of the ASEAN Master Plan onConnectivity 2025, ACCC member states took note of synchronous efforts in theregard. All project documents to launch 15 initiatives mentioned in the masterplan have been basically completed. Several projects have received financialcommitments from partners.

The ASEAN Secretariat is producing short clips to introducethe Master Plan on the mass media on the occasion of the 31st ASEANSummit.

In the foreseeable future, countries agreed to step upprojects within the framework of the Master Plan’s 15 initiatives, includingraising responsibility of coordinating agencies, improving inter-sectoralcollaboration and actively calling for aid from financial partners andorganisations.

During the first joint consultation meeting between the ACCCand 10 full and 4 field dialogue partners, partners pledged to make connectivitya priority in their cooperation with ASEAN in the future and consider joiningin the 15 initiatives.

In another meeting, the ACCC and the European Union promisedto incorporate the Master Plan into the EU’s support programmes for ASEAN inthe 2014-2020 period.

At the 28th ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos inSeptember, ASEAN leaders adopted the ASEAN Master Plan on Connectivity until2025 with a vision to create a connected and inclusive bloc to improve itscompetitiveness, inclusiveness and community awareness.

The Master Plan focuses on boosting collaboration in fivepriority areas of sustainable infrastructure, digital creativity, uninterruptedsupply chain, management optimisation and the people’s movement via 15 specificinitiatives.-VNA