Australia applies for summit with ASEAN

Australia applies for summit with ASEAN

Agence France-Presse, Phnom Penh

The Australian government has lodged a formal application through Phnom Penh for ASEAN to hold an annual summit with Australia, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said on Tuesday.

He said the application would amount to an ASEAN plus Australia summit to be held each year when leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meet.

"We have been requested by Australia to have an Australia and ASEAN summit. Cambodia is in favor of this summit because like it or not Australia is not far from Southeast Asia," he said.

Currently ASEAN holds an ASEAN plus three meeting which groups ASEAN with China, Japan and South Korea. There is also a separate ASEAN plus China and ASEAN plus Japan and South Korea summits.

The first ASEAN plus India summit will be held when leaders for the annual forum meet here next on Monday and Tuesday.

Hor Namhong said the application was lodged with Cambodia recently because Phnom Penh will act as chair of ASEAN over 2002- 2003.

He said Australia's geographic position had resulted in Canberra being highly active on trade and assistance to Asia.

Australia has long pressed for greater access to the regional block which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.