HANOI - Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung highlighted the role of ASEAN in maintaining regional peace and development ahead of the 44th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on August 8.

According to Vietnam News Agency, the PM said ASEAN has actually become an important and indispensable factor for peace, stability and development in Southeast Asia, and a momentum to promote dialogue, cooperation and connectivity in the East Asian and Asian-Pacific regions.

The 11th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam has affirmed Vietnam's commitment to strengthening friendly and cooperative relations with its neighboring countries while actively joining in efforts to build a powerful ASEAN community, Dung said.

ASEAN cooperation has been always an important part in the Vietnamese Party and State's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralization of relations, and proactive regional and international integration, he added.

In the coming time, the prime minister said, ASEAN should enhance solidarity and make greater efforts to accomplish effectively and on schedule all targets set in its plan to implement the roadmap to build the ASEAN Community from now to 2015.

ASEAN was established on August 8, 1967, with founding members of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. Vietnam joined ASEAN in 1995 and became its seventh member. In 1999, the regional bloc has 10 members.