Cambodia applies for ASEAN membership
Cambodia applies for ASEAN membership
JAKARTA (JP): Cambodia yesterday took a step closer to becoming a full member in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) when Foreign Minister Ung Huot submitted its membership application to Indonesia.
After presenting the application to Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas here, Huot told journalists he hoped that Cambodia could be accepted next year.
Indonesia currently presides over the ASEAN standing committee and will host the upcoming ASEAN ministerial meeting here in July.
The meeting will still have to deliberate about the application. Alatas, however, did not see any problems in elevating Cambodia's status from observer to full member.
"I expressed our warm welcome to this application and that I am sure I am speaking on behalf of all the members of ASEAN when I say that we all warmly welcome Cambodia's eventual entry as a full member of ASEAN next year," he said.
ASEAN was formed in 1967 and originally comprised Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
Brunei joined the group in 1984, followed by Vietnam who became the seventh member last year. It is expected that the grouping will ultimately comprise all of the 10 nations in the sub-region encompassing Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
Laos has submitted its application.
"The full membership of Cambodia and Laos will only be decided next year. But the decision to accept their application may be taken this year," Alatas remarked.
He would not speculate when Myanmar would join ASEAN.
Myanmar during last year's ASEAN ministerial meeting in Brunei applied for observer status. ASEAN officials believe a reply should be forthcoming in July.
All three future members have already participated in various ASEAN activities such as the signing of the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in Bangkok last year.
Alatas said the three countries would also join the informal ASEAN summit to be held here in December, but added that their status in that meeting would be determined later.
"As far as the plans are concerned, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are involved, they will be invited to that summit," he said. (mds)
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