Thai PM Confident ASEAN Summit To Strengthen Regional Cooperation

Abhisit Vejjajiva, “Leaders Of The Regional Grouping Would Lay The Groundwork For An ASEAN Community

Bangkok - Describing the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit to be hosted by Thailand late this month as an event to strengthen cooperation in the region, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Tuesday that leaders of the regional grouping would lay the groundwork for an ASEAN Community to be established in 2015.

Speaking to a press conference held at Government House, Mr. Abhisit said leaders of ASEAN member countries would map out the groundwork for an ASEAN Community, which will envisioned to be similar to a European Union-style community, during the summit which will be held in the Thai seaside resort of Hua Hin February 27-March 1.

By creating the ASEAN Community, the 10-member countries of ASEAN will rely more on rules and more units will be established under the ASEAN charter which came into force in December, 2008, said Mr. Abhisit, adding that a unit responsible for human rights should be formed before the end of this year to "promote and defend human rights of people in the region".

The charter sets out rules of membership, transforms ASEAN into a legal entity and envisages a single free trade area by 2015 for the region of some 500 million people.

Other major issues which will be discussed at the summit are, according to Mr. Abhisit, issues concerned with security on food, energy, natural disaster management and the current global economic meltdown.

He said ASEAN finance ministers will meet in the southern Thai resort of Phuket  on February 22 as a prelude to the summit.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said all Thais would have a role to strengthen ASEAN further within 5-6 years from now, as a push would be made to set up a legal unit to help in settling disputes among ASEAN members.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Source: enews.mcot.net

Write your comment !