Diplomats Converge On PWTC For 48th AMM, Related Meetings

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 (Bernama) -- ASEAN officials have begun a series of preparatory meetings in the run up to the 48th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here. The ones taking place Saturday involve the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) presided over by Malaysia's Hasnudin Hamzah. The meeting of the drafting committee of the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) is also underway at PWTC, the venue of the ASEAN meetings from Saturday until Aug 6. Saturday night, Foreign Ministry secretary-general Othman Hashim, who is chairman of the ASEAN SOM, is scheduled to host a welcoming dinner for ASEAN SOM leaders and delegates. Besides the 48th AMM to be presided over by Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, the gathering of ministers and diplomats in Kuala Lumpur will see the convening of the Post-Ministerial Conferences involving ASEAN and its 10 Dialogue Partners. They are Australia, China, Canada, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, the European Union and the United States. Other major meetings taking place are the 16th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers Meeting, 5th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting and 22nd ASEAN Regional Forum. A total of 27 countries will be involved in the series of meetings. The 48th AMM is scheduled to be opened by Prime Minister Najib Razak on Tuesday. -- BERNAMA