Deputy PM attends ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting

(KPL) Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith attended the 43rd Asean Foreign Ministerial Meeting and related meetings which officially opened on 20 July in Hanoi, Vietnam, marking a further step towards the establishment of the Asean Community by 2015.

The talks discussed Asean community-building, regional architecture and the implementation of the Asean Charter.

From July 21-23 the Asean foreign ministers will meet their counterparts from the Plus Three countries (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea), in addition to Australia, Canada, the European Union, India, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.

According to the official Asean website, the Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung addressed the opening ceremony by calling on the region to undertake concrete measures to enhance intra-regional cooperation, and at the same time foster cooperation within wider regional frameworks.

Asean must also actively contribute to the joint efforts of the international community, he said.

Delivering his keynote address, Mr Dung, as the current chair of Asean, said, “I hope that the foreign ministers will intensify discussions and effective cooperation with sectoral ministers and relevant partners in addressing these challenges.”

Asean is making every effort and mobilising all resources to realise the objectives set in the Roadmap for the Asean Community and other important plans.

The Association is also striving to strengthen its external relations and deepen cooperation with its partners with a view to facilitating the realisation of the Asean Community and effectively responding to global challenges while maintaining the Association’s central role in addressing regional issues.

The Lao delegates also attended the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone Commission (SEANWFZ) and the Asean Political and Security Community Council (APSC) meetings which were held on July 19.

Lao delegates have used the meetings to promote the country as host of the 1st Convention on Cluster Munitions in Vientiane from November 9-12.

During the meetings, the delegation broadcast their support for eliminating the weapons to the international community.

According to the meeting’s official website, Asean foreign ministers reviewed progress in realising the APSC Blueprint since the 3rd Meeting of the Council, as well as cooperation activities undertaken by various sectors of the APSC.

At the SEANWFZ meeting, the ministers agreed to intensify efforts to strengthen the SEANWFZ Treaty, including continued consultations with nuclear weapon states to seek their views and support.

The ministers agreed to coordinate closely in multilateral talks on issues relevant to Asean countries and the implementation of the SEANWFZ Treaty.

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