Foreign Ministry: 16 leaders will attend 15th ASEAN Summit in Thailand

BANGKOK, Sept 21 (TNA) - Leaders of 16 nations confirmed their attendance at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Thai seaside resorts at the end of October, according to a senior official of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Vitavas Srivihok, director-general of the Foreign Ministry's ASEAN Affairs Department, said that ten leaders from ASEAN member countries together with the leaders of the six dialogue partners have accepted an invitation to attend the 15th ASEAN Summit to be held October 23 to 25 at the Thai seaside resort of Hua Hin in Prachuab Khiri Khan province and Cha-Am in neighbouring Phetchaburi.

The regional bloc comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, as well as the host, Thailand, while the six dialogue partners are China, India, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.

He said Thailand as the regional pact’s chair is still pushing establishment of an ASEAN Community within six years as indicated in the ASEAN Charter.

Many issues including the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, food and energy security, natural disaster management, climate change, financial crisis and educational promotion within the region will be raised in the upcoming summit, said Mr Vitavas.

"The most important agenda in the meeting is the announcement of the establishment of an ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights and seeking its commissioners from the 10 member countries with three-year terms," said the director-general.

Mr Vitavas added the leaders will also hear recommendations regarding the study on an East Asian Free Trade Agreement (EAFTA) and the study on Comprehensive Economic Partnership in East Asia (CEPEA), which will lead to the future establishment of working committee at the governmental level.

The director-general said, however, that the Foreign Ministry will propose some 20 documents of the ASEAN Summit for Cabinet consideration, two of which deal with establishing an ASEAN-China Centre and an Agreement on Diplomatic Privilege Immunity will be forwarded to Parliament. (TNA)