The key content of COST-70 Meeting is to discuss on issues in order to strengthen more cooperation on science, technology and innovation in ASEAN, moving towards the establishment of ASEAN Community after 2015. At the same time, the participants focused on discussions on important contents of the Draft ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (APASTI) for the period 2016-2025, which included APASTI’s vision, targets/deliverables, strategic tasks, organizational structure and operational mechanisms of ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology (COST), ASEAN Science, Technology and Innovation Fund (ASTIF).
Also within the framework of COST-70 Meeting, took place meetings between ASEAN and ASEAN dialogue partners including EU and the United States. In these meeting, the parties actively discussed about the implementation status of joint cooperation activities/projects, and directions for the coming time, especially coordination to promote the APASTI implementation after 2015.
Delivering the opening speech in COST-70 Meeting, Minister of Science and Technology of Lao People’s Democratic Republic emphasized that COST-70 Meeting has been organized in the context that ASEAN member states move towards the establishment of ASEAN Community by end of 2015, Lao multi-ethnic people would celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the founding the Lao PDR (2/12/1975 – 2/12/2015). During the past 40 years, Lao people have been creatively applied S&T to the country’s development cause and gained achievements on strong economic growth and effective poverty reduction. Minister Boviengkham Vongdara said that activities of ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology has promoted cooperation in ASEAN on science and technology, in order to discuss and propose solutions for challenges for ASEAN Science community.
Currently, Lao People’s Democratic Republic has taken the role of rotating President of ASEAN COST for the 2015-2016 term. In the Opening ceremony of COST-70 Meeting, took place solemnly the Ceremony on transferring the rotating President of COST between Indonesia (2014-2015 term) and Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
In addition, before COST-70 Meeting was organized, took place the Meeting on the 27th Meeting of the Advisory Body on the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science and Technology (ABAPAST-27); the 26th Meeting of the Advisory Body of the ASEAN Science Fund (ABASF-26) and the 48th Meeting of the Sub-Committee on S&T Infrastructure and Resource Development (SCIRD-48) in order to discuss important contents of the establishment of the ASEAN Community after 2015.
It is expected that results achieved in COST-70 Meeting and other related meetings would be reported in the 16th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology (AMMST-16). At the same time, the Draft APASTI would be submitted to the ASEAN Ministers for review and adoption in AMMST-16 (taking place in November 06, in Vientiane, Laos).