ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat Begins, Focus On To Move ASEAN Agenda Forward

By R.Ravichandran KOTA KINABALU (Sabah, Malaysia), Jan 28 (Bernama) -- The ASEAN Foreign Ministers began their retreat here Wednesday morning with the focus, among others, on how to move the ASEAN agenda forward, especially in the context of ASEAN Community building. At the retreat, Malaysia will also share with other member states, its eight priorities for ASEAN under its chairmanship this year, in a region seen to be economically vibrant and politically stable. The territorial disputes in South China Sea which witnessed escalating tensions last year and seen to be a complicated issue for the region, is also expected to be taken for discussions. The retreat is being held at a very important time as the 10-member regional grouping are working tirelessly towards the establishment of an ASEAN Community by year's end, which comprised of three pillars, namely the ASEAN Political-Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. Foreign Minister Anifah Aman is leading the Malaysian delegation at the retreat, held at Magellan Sutera Harbour Resort here. All ASEAN Foreign Ministers are attending the retreat, namely Pengiran Anak Puteri Hajah Masna (Brunei Darussalam), Hor Namhong, (Cambodia), Retno L.P.Marsudi (Indonesia), Dr Thongloun Sisoulith (Laos), U Wunna Maung Lwin (Myanmar), Albert F del Rosario (Philippines), K.Shanmugam (Singapore), Tanasak Patimapragorn (Thailand) and Pham Binh Minh (Vietnam). Besides ASEAN member states foreign ministers, also attending the retreat is ASEAN secretary-general Le Luong Minh The eight priorities put forward by Malaysia are to formally establish the ASEAN Community, to develop the ASEAN Community's Vision and its Attendant Documents, to steer ASEAN closer to the peoples, to strengthen the development of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and to expand intra-ASEAN trade and investment through cross-border investments and trade. Besides that to strengthen ASEAN's Institutions, to promote regional peace and security through moderation and to enhance ASEAN's role as a global player. According to the programme distributed to the media, a press conference is scheduled to be held at noon at the end of the retreat The ministers are also scheduled to visit the Gaya Island, before attending a luncheon hosted by Anifah at Gayana Eco Resort. The retreat was preceded by the meeting of the Committee of Permanant Representatives (CPR) on Monday and the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) and the meeting of the fourth ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group (ACCWG) on the ASEAN Community Post-2015 Vision Tuesday. In all, about 200 delegates from the 10 Southeast Asian nations which has a combined of more than 600 million people are expected to attend the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat and other preparatory meetings from Jan 26 to 28. The foreign ministers' retreat is the first in a series of ASEAN meetings under Malaysia's chairmanship of ASEAN this year. Malaysia assumed the ASEAN chairmanship on Jan 1, taking over from Myanmar. Malaysia's vision throughout the chairmanship - themed 'Our People, Our Community, Our Vision' - is the creation of a people-centred ASEAN involving all sectors of society in the grouping's activities. ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations) groups Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (photoBERNAMA) -- BERNAMA