Thai PM attends 21st ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh

PHNOM PENH, Nov 18 (TNA) - Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Sunday urged members states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to strengthen their cooperation and expressed hope that the ASEAN Community (AC) could be successfully implemented in 2015 as planned. In her speech during the summit , Miss Yingluck said she hoped ASEAN members would strengthen their cooperation on the grouping’s three main pillars including political-security, economics and socio-culture. On economics, she said, ways must be found in eradicating tariff problems while facility must be given for free trade and investment among the 10-member of ASEAN. Joint cooperation must be made in battling against transnational crime, money laundering, drug trafficking along the border, and an enforcement against human trafficking. The Thai prime minister noted that cooperation in socio-culture field must be extended to jointly help in managing natural disaster. Thailand along with countries lying on the Mekong River basin will cooperate with China next year in organising a meeting on marine disaster, aimed at exchanging experiences on water management. Miss Yingluck also said a closer cooperation on food security, especially on increasing of rice production, must be made by ASEAN members. The Thai premier also praised the nomination of Le Luong Minh, presently vice foreign minister of Vietnam, to become a new ASEAN secretary-general. Mr. Le is nominated to the post by the Hanoi government. If appointed, he would replace current ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan of Thailand who is due to retire in December after completing his five-year term. (TNA)