RI Proposes Easier Mobility For Disaster Mitigation Personnel

Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, Oct 10 (Antara) - Indonesia, during the East Asia Summit held here on Thursday, urged ASEAN member countries to ease the mobility of disaster mitigation personnel as part of emergency response facilitation in the region. "This will increase the mobility of emergency response personnel after a disaster. Leaders from other countries welcomed the proposal," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s Special Staff for the Economy and Development Affairs Firmanzah said here on Thursday. According to him, disaster mitigation was an important issue being discussed at the East Asia Summit as countries in the region are prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and floods. It also coincided with Brunei Darussalam`s agenda as the host of the ASEAN and East Asia summits this year. The 11th East Asia Summit is being held on Thursday in Bandar Seri Begawan, coinciding with the ASEAN Summit 2013. Among leaders attending the meeting are Indonesia`s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Brunei Darussalam`s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Singapore`s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Malaysia`s Prime Minister Najib Razak, and Philippines` President Benigno S Aquino. Other leaders are Thailand`s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Cambodia`s Prime Minister Hun Sen, Vietnam's President Ngu Yen Tan Dung, Laos Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong, Myanmar`s President Thein Sein, China`s President Li Keqiang, India`s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Australia`s Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Japan`s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, South Korea`s President Park Gyeun-hye, New Zealand`s Prime Minister John Key, Russia`s Foreign Affairs Minister Sergy V Lavrov, and the US Secretary of State John F Kerry.