PRESIDENT YUDHOYONO ARRIVES IN HUA HIN

Hua Hin, Feb 27 (ANTARA) - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono arrived in Hua Hin, a retreat city some 200 km from Bangkok, at 5.30 pm West Indonesia time on Friday, to attend the 14th summit of the Association of South Asian Nations (ASEAN) to be held here on February 27 - March 1, 2009.
Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda who arrived in Hua Hin a day earlier said President Yudhoyono was scheduled to chair an annual consultation meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit.
On Saturday morning, before opening the 14th ASEAN Summit, the president will lead an annual subregional consultative meeting on subregional development in South East Asia which involves Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines (East ASEAN Growth Area/BIMP EAGA).
The president is also expected to chair an annual consultation meeting of the Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT GT).
"These meetings are held to improve the cooperation in the framework of subregional cooperation," Wirajuda said adding that the president is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Singapore.
After the subregional meetings, the president and other heads of state or government will meet with representatives of the ASEAN parliaments, youths and civil society representatives.
"The three sides - parliament, youth and civil society - represent the ASEAN peoples in accordance with the ASEAN Charters where ASEAN as an organization should provide wider room for them so that ASEAN would be oriented to the people," he said