CHIANG MAI, Jan 18 (TNA) – Thailand has hosted its first
events as ASEAN chair with ASEAN foreign ministers and senior officials
gathering for the 2019 ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AFMR) and the ASEAN
Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) in Chiang Mai.
The meetings on Thursday and Friday are the first major
events presenting opportunity for Thailand to lay out its tasks on the theme
“Advancing Partnership for Sustainability.”
Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said he outlined key
ideas for ASEAN under Thailand’s chairmanship and received supports from all
members.
ASEAN should be future-oriented by making use of the
technological advance, he said.
The grouping must strengthen partnership at all levels and
enhance connectivity with strong ASEAN identity, Don said.
He elaborated that ASEAN will look to promote sustainability
in all dimensions in order to realize ‘Sustainable ASEAN.’
In the two-day meeting, ASEAN foreign ministers also
discussed various issues, including the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar’s state of
Rakhine, the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and the Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Don said.
Thailand hopes negotiations for establishing RCEP to complete
by the end of this year under Thailand’s year in the chair. It would create the largest economic bloc
combining 16 economies in the Asia and Pacific.
After the meeting, Don presented paper podium and chairs to
a school in rural village in the northern province. Paper podium and chairs signify Thailand’s
principle of “green meeting” in hosting the event.(TNA)
