HANOI, Oct. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- Vietnam, which targets to make the approaching fifth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 5) the biggest summit in terms of participation and contents, has made nearly all necessary preparations for it, including substance, protocol, logistics, security and communication. 

    The National Committee for ASEM 5 chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan, on Oct. 2, staged an overall rehearsal for the organization of the summit, especially its opening ceremony, which mainly involved reception, security, quality of audio systems and aestheticism. "The preparatory work has so far relatively guaranteed ASEM 5's success," he stated.

    As early as April 2003, the Vietnamese government decided to set up the committee with five sub-committees on substance, protocol affairs, logistic matters, security, and culture and communication with the participation of 14 relevant ministries andagencies. To date, major preparatory works regarding ASEM 5's content, logistics and security at the summit have been completed.

    Regarding substance matters, Vietnam has made two important contributions, namely the initiation of the summit's overall title"Further Revitalizing and Substantiating the Asia-Europe Partnership" with five themes, including recent regional developments, international developments and new global challenges,future of ASEM, promoting the Asia-Europe economic partnership in the context of globalization, and cultural diversity and national cultures in the age of information technology and globalization, and the campaign for admission of 13 new ASEM members.

    Since 2002, Vietnam has had close coordination with other countries to seek measures to further the Asia-Europe partnership politically, economically and culturally with a focus on how to substantiate economic cooperation for submission to ASEM 5, and proposed the summit adopt a declaration on closer ASEM economic partnership and a declaration on dialogue among cultures and civilizations. This will be the first time ASEM members will have made such high-level commitments to beef up economic and cultural cooperation between Asia and Europe.

    Like substance matters, security has received much attention ofthe host country, whose security sub-committee had completed all schemes, logistic facilities and necessary equipment to ensure absolute safety for ASEM 5 by late last month. After months of attending refresher courses and rehearsals, local personnel of security, police and emergency services such as healthcare and fire-fighting have exactly identified and effectively response to potential incidents during the summit like terrorist attacks, explosion, fire and traffic congestion.

    To ensure absolute security at the summit, Vietnam has decided to temporarily suspend issuing Class D visas - the standard 15-dayvisas granted to foreigners entering the country for any purpose without invitation from local organizations or individuals. Security at the Noi Bai International Airport in the capital city of Hanoi has been tightened.

    To deal with possible traffic jams and other disturbances during ASEM 5, Vietnam has decided to ban trucks, coaches and trains from running on several urban districts, and let students and civil servants have days-off on Oct. 7-9. Concerning vehicles for heads of state and government at the summit, Vietnam has imported 78 luxury cars branded Mercedes S-Class, and selected most qualified local drivers for them.

    In addition to substance and security, Vietnam has completed preparations on logistic affairs, especially accommodations, food and healthcare services for more than 1,000 people including delegates, their companions and reporters. Seven 5-star hotels in Hanoi are designated to receive foreign delegations.

    The Ministry of Health has issued instructions to relevant healthcare establishments and food suppliers to focus on the most important missions, namely preventing diseases and ensuring food safety. It has supplied them more equipment and chemicals to prevent such diseases as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS),bird flu, dengue fever and cholera, and inspect the quality of foodstuffs in the three-step procedures: before receiving materials, before processing and before eating.

    Specifically, Vietnam is intensifying quarantine and check of body temperature of passengers at airports to detect signs of SARSand bird flu before the organization of ASEM 5. Local health agencies are spraying chemicals to destroy disease-transmitters like insects at places in which delegates will stay and work. Theyare also establishing mobile first-aid teams.

    During the meeting, 100 doctors and nurses will be present in 13 places, while other medical workers in the always-on status to quickly response to health problems of delegates. Besides, nearly 1,000 local volunteers, mostly staff of tourism companies, will serve at the International Convention Center, in which ASEM 5's discussions are to take place.

    Another facility, which is also given due attention by the National Committee for ASEM 5, is the summit's media center which is able to satisfy demands of some 700 reporters with nearly 100 Internet-enabled desktop computers and hundreds of Internet links available for laptops, three briefing rooms and 600 lockers. Reporters are to enjoy free meals and drinks during the summit.

    According to a local official, expenses for ASEM 5 are estimated at around 200 billion Vietnamese dong (12.7 million US dollars).

    On Oct. 8, ASEM 5's opening ceremony will be held at the Ba Dinh Hall in the center of Hanoi, a meeting place for significant events of Vietnam, with the participation of 39 delegations, including 25 state members of the European Union (EU), the European Commission, 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and three Northeast Asian countries.

    One day earlier, a ceremony is expected to take place for the admission of three ASEAN countries, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, and 10 new EU state members, namely Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Slovenia, Malta and Cyprus.

    Now, ASEM is an informal process of dialogue and cooperation bringing together 15 EU member states and the European Commission with 10 Asian countries, namely China, Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The ASEM dialogue addresses political, economic and cultural issues, with the objective of strengthening the relationship between the two continents. Enditem