Thai DPM chairs meeting on AC preparations

BANGKOK, February 16 (TNA) - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn has chaired a meeting of a government committee tasked with preparing Thailand for the ASEAN Community (AC) to consider national plans for the three pillars of AC from 2016 to 2020, as well as law improvement and revision. Monday's meeting of the committee, in which the ministers of social development and human security, education, energy, labour, justice and culture, ministerial executives and representatives of the private sector participated, discussed Thailand’s policies, strategies, directions and stances relating to cooperation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) framework. The meeting also resolved to form four sub-committees to handle activities concerning the ASEAN's three pillars, including the ASEAN Political and Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, as well as public relations. Besides, the meeting discussed urgent issues, problems and obstacles, as well as legal amendments to facilitate Thailand’s participation in AC. The committee was formed with an order of the Prime Minister’s Office on November 14, 2014 to ensure that Thailand will participate well in AC through its three pillars and concerned agencies will work well with one another to support the smooth participation. (TNA)