All Vietnam's initiatives have been highly praised at the 8th ASEAN justice ministers’ meeting which concluded in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on November 4.

In an interview with a VOV reporter, Minister of Justice Ha Hung Cuong said Vietnam acknowledged ASEAN’s efforts to cooperate in criminal and judicial assistance and proposed that other ASEAN countries promote mutual judicial assistance in civil and commercial matters, which is the biggest barrier among  ASEAN countries.

At the meeting it was decided to develop two agreements based on Vietnam’s initiatives. The first concerns legal regulations for consular activities and documents among ASEAN countries to simplify procedures for investment, business and travel. The second aims to establish a working group to help ASEAN member countries in the delivery of documents from judicial agencies.

Vietnam supported other countries’ initiatives to align ASEAN member countries’ laws related to purchasing goods and trade arbitration as well as maritime laws on security, the coastal environment and the sea.

Minister Cuong said the ASEAN bloc consists of 10 countries with different legal and judicial systems, which presents a major barrier to the goal of building an ASEAN community by 2015. It will take a long time to deal with the differences between the legal and judicial systems of ASEAN countries.

(VOV)