ASEAN to hold informal meeting in December '96<\/p>\n
BANGKOK (JP): The leaders of the Association of Southeast
\nAsian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to hold an informal Summit meeting
\nin Indonesia next year to help keep pace with rapid regional and
\nglobal developments.<\/p>\n
Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono told journalists here
\nyesterday that the leaders had asked Indonesia to hold next
\nyear's ASEAN informal meeting.<\/p>\n
The minister said President Soeharto had chosen, for the time
\nbeing, Bogor, West Java, as the venue for the informal Summit,
\nwhich will be held in the first week of December.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono explained that the seven ASEAN heads of states
\nreached the agreement at the banquet dinner hosted by Thai Prime
\nMinister Banharn Silpa-Archa on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto and several cabinet ministers are
\ncurrently attending the two-day ASEAN Summit which began here
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
Also attending ASEAN's fifth Summit is Brunei's Sultan
\nHassanal Bolkiah, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad,
\nPhilippine President Fidel Ramos, Singaporean Prime Minister Goh
\nChok Tong, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet.<\/p>\n
\"Looking at the dynamism of the region and the world, all
\nleaders agreed that a three year gap between summits is too long.
\nThey see the necessity to meet more often and it is was agreed to
\nhave an informal meeting annually,\" Moerdiono said.<\/p>\n
He added that Soeharto also suggested Bogor Palace as the site
\nof the informal summit.<\/p>\n
Located about 60-kilometers south of Jakarta, Bogor Palace
\nwas the venue of last year's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
\n(APEC) summit which was attended by 18 heads of government.<\/p>\n
Singapore's Goh Chok Tong also referred to benefits of the
\ninformal summit and suggested that Japan and Korea to be invited.<\/p>\n
\"We must never become a closed inward-looking regional bloc,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Earlier yesterday morning, President Soeharto held a bilateral
\nmeeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet to discuss a
\nhost of topics of mutual concern.<\/p>\n
During yesterday's opening address at the Summit, Soeharto
\nstressed the interdependent nature of regional stability.<\/p>\n
\"We are aware that the peace that we have built in our region
\ncannot be secure without peace and stability in the rest of the
\nworld,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Soeharto thus underlined the importance of good communication
\nand working relationships with other regional organizations while
\nexpressing his full support for next year's Asia-Europe Summit
\nMeeting which will convene leaders from both continents.
\n(rid\/mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-to-hold-informal-meeting-in-december-96-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}