On 23 July 2009, Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, on behalf of Chairman of the 42nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, Post Ministerial Conferences and ASEAN Regional Forum, gave a press briefing on the outcome of the meeting. Gist as follows:
- Over the past four days, we had a series of meeting among ASEAN Foreign Ministers and between ASEAN and our counterparts. The outcomes are reflected in the Joint Communiqu? and Chairman’s Statements of respective meetings already issued or to be issued later today.
- Allow me just to inform you of the overall sense of these various meetings and highlight some key points, particularly of our meetings yesterday and today.
- First, on the ASEAN+3 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the EAS Ministers’ Informal Consultations on 22 July.
o We had productive discussions, despite time limit, on a variety of issues of common interests and concerns, including the pressing challenges affecting the well-being of our peoples — the global economic and financial crisis, the spread of pandemic diseases, particularly the Influenza A (H1N1), food security, energy security and climate change. In all, the participants agreed to enhance cooperation to address these challenges.
o It is clear from the meetings that there exist the sense of regional togetherness and shared determination among regional countries to move together, and that these should be carried forward.
o Importantly, to promote closer regional integration in the region, we agree that we should promote greater connectivity — not only among ASEAN but also with our partners in East Asia. By connectivity we mean not only in the physical sense — namely through networks of roads, railways, sea and air linkages — but also in terms of information and communications, as well as intellectual and cultural exchanges. This is also what Prime Minister Abhisit stressed in his opening statement of the 42nd AMM on Monday.
o So besides infrastructure development, education has been emphasized and it was agreed that education be one of the key elements in the central theme of the 15th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in October.
o Some of the key concrete measures of cooperation include: 1) Mechanisms to enable better use of the capital with in the region to fend off financial risks and promote economic development, particularly the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM), which we encouraged the ASEAN+3 finance ministers to expedite its launching in October at the 12th ASEAN+3 Summit. 2) Sharing of information, establishing regional stockpiles of essential medicines and vaccines and transfer of technology in production of anti-viral medicines and vaccines to fight against the spread of Influenza A (H1N1). 3) Exploring new sources of energy, development of renewable energy and clean energy. 4) Working together on climate change and for successful outcome of the Copenhagen Conference of the State Parties to the UNFCCC.
o We also agreed on the date for both the ASEAN Plus Three Summit and the East Asia Summit to be held in Thailand, which is on 24 October this year.
- On the PMC plus one sessions also on 22 July.
o ASEAN met with each of our ten dialogue partners on an individual basis. The discussions were very positive and underlined the commitment both on the part of ASEAN and the dialogue partners to enhance our engagement, to take our partnership forward and to cope with challenges of today and the future.
o There’s also a sense of eagerness among the dialogue partners to intensify cooperation with ASEAN in our efforts at community building and narrowing development gap among the member countries.
o One of the significant miles in ASEAN relations with our dialogue partners is the signing of the Instrument of Accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) by the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday. This underscored the U.S. commitment to engage constructively with Southeast Asia.
o Other documents signed at this AMM/PMC/ARF in Phuket are 1) ASEAN and Australia signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Second Phase of the ASEAN-Australia Development Cooperation Program (AADCP II). 2) ASEAN and Russia also signed the MOU on ASEAN Centre in the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO).
- Finally, on the 16th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) earlier today.
o The 27 participants had frank and fruitful discussions on a number of regional and international issues of common concerns. The views of the meeting are reflected in the ARF Chairman’s Statement.
o The general sense of the meeting is that despite different views and perceptions on certain issues, we are all for promoting peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region, and that the ARF will enhance its active role in addressing challenges to regional peace and stability and enhancing trust, confidence and cooperation among countries in the region.
o In this regard, we adopted today the ARF Vision Statement, which charts a vision for the ARF by the year 2020 and its place in the region — notably, as a central pillar in the evolving regional security architecture, as well as an action-oriented mechanism that develops concrete and effective responses to common challenges facing our region. And we will continue to discuss what the ARF can do and contribute in concrete terms.
o On some issues that you might be interested in: first, on Myanmar, the sentiment expressed by the participants is one of friendship and goodwill. The attitude is positive. ASEAN as well as members of the ARF would like to work with Myanmar and are ready to assist Myanmar in its efforts to promote democracy, human rights and well-being of her people. We have asked Myanmar Foreign Minister to convey this sentiment to the Myanmar leadership. ASEAN, in particular, reiterated our determination to work closely with Myanmar, in cooperation with the UN and the international community. At the same time, it was hoped that Myanmar would also be responsive to the international community's concerns.
o On the DPRK, the goal is to bring about peace and stability to the Korean Peninsula and de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. So we urge the DPRK to return to the Six-Party Talks, look beyond the past and join others in finding the way forward. At the same time, we will see further what the ARF can do to help promote peace and stability in that area.
o The ARF stands in solidarity with Indonesia and strongly condemns the bombings in Jakarta on 17 July 2009, which is a reminder to us that terrorism remains a very real threat to peace and stability — nationally, regionally and internationally. So we will further strengthen our cooperation in this area of counter-terrorism along with other transnational issues and disaster relief.
- Overall, the meetings we had over the past four days have been very productive and constructive and served to enhance our commitment and cooperation to move forward together.
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