Asean and dialogue partners discuss future cooperation
ASEAN Foreign ministers yesterday held Post-Ministerial Conferences (PMCs) with dialogue partners during the ongoing ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) which is taking place in Phuket, Thailand from July 17-23.
According to a press release from the ASEAN Secretariat, twelve consecutive meetings between ASEAN countries and Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States were held yesterday.
At yesterday's PMC + 1 involving the United States, the US acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.
On Monday the ministers adopted the Terms of Reference of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights. Tuesday saw agreement to study the European Union's experience in narrowing development gaps between member states.
The Joint Communiqué of the 42nd AMM also reflected discussions by the ministers on regional and international issues including the post-Cyclone Nargis situation in Myanmar, illegal migrants in the Indian Ocean and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
The development of infrastructure linkages among ASEAN member states as well as linkages between ASEAN and China and India were also reflected in the report.
Meanwhile, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is scheduled to commence today, where the ARF Vision Statement is expected to be adopted. The statement includes measures to enhance cooperation and promote a more effective security partnership among ARF participants, according to the ASEAN Secretariat.
ASEAN consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
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