Two more priority areas added to the work of ASEAN Political and Security Council
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith led Lao delegation to join the 2nd ASEAN Political-Security Community Council (APSC), convened at the Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket on Tuesday.
The APSC meeting discussed the progress made in the implementation of the priority areas and agreed to put more effort into expediting implementation of the priorities.
The APSC assigned the task of developing ASEAN political and security cooperation towards the goal of an ASEAN Community by 2015 as stipulated in the ASEAN Political and Security Community Blueprint adopted last March at the 14th ASEAN Summit. The APSC is a new body set up when the ASEAN Charter came into effect, with the ASEAN Foreign Ministers serving as members of the Council.At the same day, the 4th ASEAN Coordinating Council Meeting was also held where the ASEAN Foreign Ministers also agreed to study the European Union’s experience on how it had worked to narrow the development gap among newer and older EU members.
The 10 ASEAN Foreign Ministers viewed that a study on the experience of the Union be conducted, so as to guide ASEAN on what they could do to reduce their own development gaps.
The ACC also viewed that in addition to projects and programmes on capacity building and development in Member States, ASEAN should try to promote connectivity among its peoples.
This could be achieved through improving infrastructure such as transportation linkages and developing new means of communications such as ASEAN television.
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