RI to host UN-ASEAN conference

INDONESIA: Indonesia will host the fourth UN-ASEAN Conference in Jakarta on Feb. 24-25, 2004 at the Hilton Hotel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' director of information and media Lutfi Rauf said.

The two-day conference will host top officials from ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, the United Nations Development program (UNDP), ASEAN Secretariat and members of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

The meeting will be officially opened by Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda.

The first UN-ASEAN conference was co-organized by the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkom University, Thailand in January 2001. The second was organized in Manila in February, 2002 by Philippines Institute for Strategic and Development Studies and the third was held in Singapore in February, 2003. -- JP