Asean prepares for the future, and links with China

Asean prepares for the future, and links with China

Published on Thursday, 15 August 2013 12:14

Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation 

Hua Hin - Asean's foreign ministers will gather on Wednesday in Hua Hin for their informal meeting to prepare for special talks with China late this month, as well as to explore their vision for post-2015.

The only absentee will be Cambodian foreign minister Hor Namhong who is busy with domestic affairs.

The ASEAN foreign ministers will meet informally to discuss several issues of the group and its external relations, said the Foreign Ministry's Permanent Secretary Sihasak Phuangketkeow.

Two major topics to be intensively discussed will be the preparation for a special Asean-China meeting on the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership, and the community's vision for the future, he said.

Chinese and ASEAN foreign ministers will meet later this month in Beijing for the anniversary. They will review the previous relations of both sides and work on cooperation in the future, he said.

Conflict in the South China Sea between China and ASEAN members will be an issue for discussion. Ministers will reflect their political views and ideas for the formal consultation meeting to be held later in mid-September in China's Su Zhou, he said.

On the post 2015 vision, the ministers will today discuss the need to have a clear vision for the group after it becomes a community in that year, Sihasak said.

"[Such a] vision would give ASEAN direction on its role in engaging with the external world," he said.

The minister said he anticipated the process for planning the future could be launched next year when Myanmar holds the chairmanship of the group. Their aims could be declared by 2015 when Malaysia takes the chair, he said.

Other matters the ministers would discuss include a ministerial meeting between ASEAN and the Gulf countries under the framework of the Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), he said.

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