Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has called on ASEAN Cultural Ministers to introduce initiatives to build the grouping’s cultural identity, develop the cultural industry and properly exploit heritage examples for economic development and poverty reduction. Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh stressed the need to build an ASEAN community imbued with diverse cultural identitiess (Photo:VGP) Addressing the 6th meeting of the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Culture & Art (AMCA) in Hue city on April 19, Minh stressed that ASEAN needs to draw up a culture and art development strategy beyond 2015 after the ASEAN Community is formed, with a particular focus on improving people’s enjoyment and involvement in culture-art innovation. It is necessary to expand cooperation and connectivity between culture and art institutions and universities within ASEAN to share experience and improve the quality of education, he said. He insisted culture-art initiatives should be incorporated into the ASEAN Community Orientations beyond 2015 which is being drafted. Minh noted over the past 47 years ASEAN has made great strides in building a united, strong and resilient community based on three key pillars of: politics-security, economics, and culture-society. Regarding the building of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, Minh said ASEAN cultural ministers have introduced strategic plans, aimed at preserving and honouring ASEAN cultural heritage examples, deepening the people’s understanding of an ASEAN community imbued with diverse cultural identities. He also hailed ASEAN’s efforts in increasing cultural and art cooperation with non-ASEAN economies, including China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, to promote friendship and mutual understanding among nations. AMCA + 3 (China, Japan and the RoK) and AMCA + 1 (with each of the three dialogue partners) will be held during the four-day event. AMCA 6 is expected to release a Hue declaration on culture for sustainable development of the ASEAN community. VOV