ASEAN-EU Strengthen Partnership

BRUNEI, April 28 (TNA) - Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul has joined ministers from other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in endorsing the Bandar Seri Begawan Action Plan, aimed at promoting and strengthening partnership between the 10-member-ASEAN and the 27-member European Union (EU) from 2013-2017. Surapong told journalists Saturday that the Bandar Seri Begawan Action Plan, approved at the end of the 19th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting (AEMM) held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei's capital, from April 26-27, will replace the existing one which expires this year. Under the new action plan, Surapong acknowledged, the agreed ASEAN-EU cooperation focuses on three main pillars of ASEAN, including political, economic and social and cultural arenas. According to the Thai foreign minister, the EU has also granted 20 million euros for use by ASEAN to support the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015, as well as disaster relief, energy, science, innovative and information technology or IT development projects in the 10-nation bloc. The Thai foreign minister said that other major issues discussed at the two-day AEMM include cooperation given by Thailand in disarmament and nuclear development programmes, anti-terrorism, promotion of marine security, energy security, utilisation of alternative and conservation of energy and in water management. The foreign minister noted that the EU has also given more interest in national reconciliation in Myanmar, following a recent by-election in the neighbouring country and in the political situation in Thailand. On the sidelines of this year's AEMM, the Thai foreign minister also held bilateral talks with eight EU ministers, during which Thailand was supported to become a gateway to ASEAN and to become a regional investment hub. The Thai foreign minister held talks with his British counterpart William Hague as well, during which a plan by Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to visit the United Kingdom to attend the opening of the Olympic Games 2012, scheduled to be held from July 27–August 12, was also discussed. (TNA)