Laos and Vietnam acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and were granted "Observer Country" status at the 25th AMM in Manila in 1992. Subsequently, their Foreign Ministers attended the 26th AMM in Singapore in July 1993 as Observers. At that meeting, the Foreign Minister of Laos sought ASEAN's assistance in human resource development and cooperation in other areas of national development, including investment infrastructure. The Foreign Minister of Vietnam, on his part, called for cooperation with ASEAN in the areas of science and technology, environment, culture and information, public health, and tourism.

In response, ASEAN agreed to cooperate with both Laos and Vietnam in all these fields and offered assistance, particularly in the training of its officials in ASEAN affairs and in English language, to better prepare these countries for their eventual membership in ASEAN.

Subsequently, steps have been taken to enable Laos and Vietnam to participate in the meetings of ASEAN's Committees, sub-committees and their subsidiary bodies on functional cooperation, i.e., Committee on Science and Technology, ASEAN Senior Officials on Environment, Committee on Culture and Information, Committee on Social Development, ASEAN Senior Officials on Drugs, and ASEAN Conference on Civil Service Matters. This would enable Laos and Vietnam to familiarize themselves with the work of the various ASEAN bodies. The possibility of including Laos and Vietnam in the human resource development programmes and projects of the various ASEAN committees and sub-committees is also being looked into.

To facilitate the participation of Laos and Vietnam in the meetings of the Functional Committees and Sub-Committees, the Fourth Meeting of the 27th ASEAN Standing Committee held in Jakarta in June 1994 approved the "Guidelines for the Participation of Observer Countries in ASEAN Meetings which, among others, defines the extent and nature of Observer Country participation in ASEAN Meetings as well as the procedures to be followed by the host country in inviting the Observers.

Laos and Vietnam have already begun to take part in some of the ASEAN meetings and projects. In the past year, Vietnam attended, as Observer, the 16th Meeting of the ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters held in Manila in October 1994 and the 11th Meeting of the ASEAN Sub-Committee on Youth held in Phuket in May 1994. Both Laos and Vietnam are also participating in an on- going project of ASOD, the ASEAN Three-Year Plan of Action on Preventive Drug Education (1993-1995).

In February 1994, the Secretary-General of ASEAN visited Laos and Vietnam as an official guest of the two Observer Countries. In Vientiane, the Secretary-General met with Vice Foreign Minister Soubanh Srithirath, who was the Acting Foreign Minister, and paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Khamtay Siphandone. The Laotian leaders emphasized their desire to see closer cooperation between ASEAN and Laos, especially in the areas of human resource development, environment, and narcotics. They also called for ASEAN investment in the economic infrastructure of Laos.

In Hanoi, the Secretary-General held official talks with Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam and paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet. The Vietnamese leaders reiterated their desire for Vietnam to become a full member of ASEAN at an early date.

The Meeting of Asean Senior Officials in Pattaya in April 1994 agreed to accelerate ASEAN's cooperation with both Laos and Vietnam. A study on ways and means of accelerating this cooperation is underway.