Cambodia prepares to join ASEAN

Cambodia prepares to join ASEAN

PHNOM PENH (AFP): The Cambodian government, preparing for the formal consideration of its application to join the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), has created an agency to oversee its membership, the foreign ministry said yesterday.

Cambodia's ASEAN Directorate-General is to be headed by long- time diplomat You Ay, the country's director of international cooperation during the former State of Cambodia government.

The appointments are expected to be officially approved by co- Premiers Prince Norodom Ranariddh and Hun Sen in the near future.

In addition, the government has created an internal ASEAN coordinating committee which will be made up of ministers or senior officials from nearly every ministry and the Council of Ministers.

Cambodia, now an observer member of the regional economic grouping, submitted its formal application for full membership in April to Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas, who is now the chairman of ASEAN' standing committee.