On 22 July 2009, ASEAN Foreign Ministers will meet with the Foreign Ministers of Dialogue Partners in the following three main forums:
1) ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers Meeting (ten ASEAN countries + China, Republic of Korea and Japan)
2) East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Informal Consultations (ten ASEAN countries + China, Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and India)
3) Meetings between ASEAN Foreign Ministers and individual Dialogue Partners (nine countries and one organization — Australia, Japan, Canada, Republic of Korea, China, New Zealand, India, U.S.A., Russia and the European Union)
After the end of the Post Ministerial Conferences, the Thai Foreign Minister will host dinner in honour of all the participating countries at Trisara Hotel.
ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers Meeting It is expected that the Meeting will follow up on the various issues discussed at previous ASEAN+3 meetings, especially the enhancement of cooperation and efficiency of ASEAN+3 in tackling challenges facing the region e.g. (1) launch the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM) by the end of 2009 and (2) accelerate the implementation of the outcome of the ASEAN Plus Three Heath Ministers Special Meeting on H1N1 which Thailand had hosted in May 2009 e.g. the sharing of medical supplies in case of emergencies and transfer of technology in producing anti-viral medicines and pandemic influenza vaccines.
East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Informal Consultations The meeting will likely focus on the revision and direction of the development of EAS cooperation, which would include developing common strategies to deal with challenges, e.g., developing regional climate change strategy, and enhancing trade financing to assist the export sector.
ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meetings with Dialogue Partners These annual meetings provide opportunities for ASEAN and individual Dialogue Partners determine the course for future cooperation, follow up on and discuss issues in and obstacles to cooperation between ASEAN and these countries. Such issues include trade and investment cooperation as well as the establishment of a free trade area, political and security cooperation and cultural exchanges. The Thai Foreign Minister is expected to participate in the ASEAN-Australia PMC as the current coordinator, in the ASEAN-U.S. as the past coordinator, and in the ASEAN-Canada as future coordinator. During these meetings, a number of outcome documents will be signed or adopted, e.g., Instruments of Accession and Extension to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) of the United States of America, the Memorandum of Understanding between ASEAN and Australia on the ASEAN-Australia Development Cooperation Program (AADCP II) and the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishing of the ASEAN Centre in Moscow, the purpose of the latter being to disseminate information on ASEAN to the Russian public.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th