On 27 July 2009, Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, briefed the local media on the outcomes of the 42nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting/ Post Ministerial Conferences (AMM/PMC) and 16th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
Foreign Minister Kasit thanked the government agencies involved and the private sector for their cooperation and contribution to the successful hosting of the meetings, in particular the Ministry of Defence, Phuket City Municipality, hotels in Phuket and the people of Phuket for being good hosts. The success of the 42nd AMM/PMC and 16th ARF, he said, would help revive confidence in the country and promote Thailand’s tourism.
The Foreign Minister said that the Thai people stood to benefit from the 42nd AMM/PMC and 16th ARF in a number of ways, including from:
1. Closer cooperation among the participating countries in preventing the spread of the Influenza A (H1N1) under the framework of ASEAN, ASEAN+3, East Asia Summit (EAS) and PMC with dialogue partners. ASEAN Member States will explore joint procurement of anti-viral vaccine and medicines as part of the measures to deal with pandemic diseases in the region, and collaborate on technology transfer on production of anti-viral vaccines. Additionally, Japan announced that it will provide 500,000 sets of anti-viral medicines for ASEAN Member States.
2. Closer cooperation in education and human resources development through the provision of scholarships and training courses. Interfaith and inter-cultural dialogue will be promoted to develop better understanding and tolerance among peoples in the region, especially ASEAN youths. The Meeting agreed with Thailand’s proposal to put education at the top of the agenda of the 15th ASEAN Summit and related meetings. They also agreed to enhance cooperation in narrowing the development gaps within ASEAN.
3. Agreement among the ASEAN Foreign Ministers to further develop infrastructure linkages, including road, rail, air and sea linkages, among ASEAN countries as well as between ASEAN and India and China. The ASEAN Secretary-General agreed to study the existing network of infrastructure linkages. Thailand will invite ASEAN ambassadors in Bangkok to explore the issue further with ESCAP and ADB.
4. Reaffirmation by the participating countries of their intent to take concerted action to address climate change. The Republic of Korea announced a USD 200 million East Asia Climate Change Partnership Fund to tackle climate change in Asia, half of which will be allocated to ASEAN Member States.
5. Endorsement by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers of the Terms of Reference for the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). The AICHR is scheduled to be inaugurated during the 15th ASEAN Summit, marking an important step forward in the promotion and protection of human rights in ASEAN.
The Foreign Minister noted that the 42nd AMM/PMC and 16th ARF proceeded smoothly and were held in a spirit of cooperation and goodwill, resulting in constructive and friendly discussions.
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