The Department of ASEAN Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand will host the 3rd High Level Task Force on ASEAN Connectivity (HLTF-AC) Meeting at the Four Seasons Hotel in Bangkok from 10-12 July 2010. High Level Task Force Representatives from all 10 ASEAN Member States will attend the meeting along with representatives from Asian Development Bank (ADB), Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), and the World Bank.
The said meeting is a result of the Thai Prime Minister’s proposal to promote connectivity in ASEAN with the purpose of enhancing ASEAN community building and increasing the competitiveness of ASEAN in the international arena, bearing in mind the interests of all ASEAN citizens. ASEAN leaders agreed to Thailand’s proposal and at the 15th ASEAN Summit. Leaders issued an ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on ASEAN Connectivity and agreed that a High Level Task Force on ASEAN Connectivity be established to develop a Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity. On Thailand’s part, H.E. Pradap Pibulsonggram, former Thai Ambassador to Italy and Deputy Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs was appointed to the HLTF-AC.
The HLTF is tasked to develop a Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity, where the final draft is expected to be presented to the 17th ASEAN Summit in October 2010 for approval. The Master Plan aims to provide a framework for regional cooperation on connectivity and to provide a foundation for further connectivity with other regions such as East Asia and South Asia. Ultimately, the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity aims to realize the goal of achieving an ASEAN Community by 2015.
The two previous HLTF-AC Meetings were held in Ha Noi, Viet Nam in March 2010 and in Jakarta, Indonesia in May 2010, respectively. The 3rd HLTF-AC Meeting in Bangkok will be of particular importance, as the meeting will consider important connectivity strategies; for example the ASEAN Highway initiative, the construction of the Singapore-Kunming Rail Link, and the strategies for ASEAN Single Shipping Market and ASEAN Single Aviation Market.
Relevant Thai agencies have held several consultative meetings to derive Thailand’s position with respect to the Master plan, so as to have the most appropriate and beneficial contributions both for Thailand and ASEAN as a whole. Thailand is of the view that connectivity should be comprehensive in nature entailing more than transportation and encompassing both hardware (road and rail) and software (customs, rules and regulations) along with cross-border facilitation and people-to-people connectivity. The last HLTF-AC Meeting (4th) will be held in Ha Noi, Viet Nam in September this year.
In this connection, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya will be available for an interview session for members of the Press at 18.30-18.45 hours on 11 July 2010 at the Rattana Room, Four Seasons Hotel, Bangkok.
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