- Philippines Takes Over ASEAN Chair, Kuala Lumpur, 28 July 2006
- ASEAN and US Step up Cooperation, Kuala Lumpur, 27 July 2006
- ASEAN's 40th Anniversary Theme Chosen, Kuala Lumpur, 25 July 2006
- Malaysian PM Badawi opens 39th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, Kuala Lumpur, 25 July 2006
- Malaysia Concludes its Chairmanship Term for the 39th ASEAN Standing Committee, Kuala Lumpur, 24 July 2006
Philippines Takes Over ASEAN Chair
Kuala Lumpur, 28 July 2006
(Photo is the courtesy of AFP)
Marking the close of Malaysia’s chairmanship of ASEAN, Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dato’ Seri Syed Hamid Albar handed over the Chairmanship of the ASEAN Standing Committee to Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alberto G. Romulo on 28 July 2006 in Kuala Lumpur.
The handing-over ceremony came at the end of a series of annual ASEAN meetings which included the 39th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM), Post Ministerial Conferences (PMC) and the 13th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
The key documents and statements from the 39th AMM, PMC and 13th ARF can be found here.
The 40th ASEAN Standing Committee is expected to hold its first meeting in September 2006.
ASEAN and US Step up Cooperation
Kuala Lumpur, 27 July 2006
United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong
and Malaysia Foreign Minister Dato' Seri Syed Hamid Albar
(Photo is the courtesy of AFP)
ASEAN and the US have agreed on a master plan to enhance ASEAN-US relations and cooperation for the next five years (2006-2011) as the ASEAN Foreign Ministers and US Secretary of State Condelezza Rice signed the Framework Document for the Plan of Action to Implement the ASEAN-US Enhanced Partnership on 27 July 2006, following the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference with the US.
The Plan of Action will help realise the goals and objectives of the 2005 Joint Vision Statement on the ASEAN-US Enhanced Partnership and covers the three overarching areas of political and security, economic and social and development cooperation. Under these three areas, there are 28 sub-areas outlining 161 joint measures and activities.
Some of the proposed measures/activities include: the conclusion of the ASEAN-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement; exploring the possibility of holding an ASEAN-US Summit in the future; provision of support for the realisation of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration; capacity building of SMEs; cooperation on preventing, controlling and reducing the impact of communicable and pandemic diseases; and promoting people-to-people contacts.
ASEAN and the US will celebrate the 30th anniversary of dialogue relations in 2007.
- Click here for the Plan of Action to Implement the ASEAN-U.S. Enhanced Partnership
ASEAN's 40th Anniversary Theme Chosen
Kuala Lumpur, 25 July 2006
ASEAN Foreign Ministers, meeting in Kuala Lumpur on 25 July 2006 at the 39th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, have chosen "One ASEAN at the Heart of Dynamic Asia" as the theme for the 40th Anniversary of ASEAN.
ASEAN will celebrate its 40th Anniversary on 8 August 2007.
Malaysian PM Badawi opens 39th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting
Kuala Lumpur, 25 July 2006
PM Badawi at the opening of the 39th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting
(Photo is the courtesy of Bernama)
Stressing the need for ASEAN to move towards a “true community”, Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi opened the 39th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on 25 July 2006 in Kuala Lumpur. He described ASEAN as at a crucial stage of its development of transforming itself from being an association into an integrated and harmonious community by 2020.
To achieve this true community, PM Badawi advocated a step-by-step, instrument-by-instrument and institution-by-institution approach of community building to ensure a true consensus within ASEAN on establishing a set of common values, perceptions and outlook. He stressed three overarching principles – that community interests prevail over national interest, that there be capacities for the enforcement of community decisions, and that ASEAN Member Countries adhere to a common set of community values.
- Click here for the Address by the Honourable Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia at the Opening of the 39th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, “Forging a United, Resilient and Integrated ASEAN”, Kuala Lumpur, 25 July 2006
Malaysia Concludes its Chairmanship Term for the 39th ASEAN Standing Committee
Kuala Lumpur, 24 July 2006
Dato' Seri Syed Hamid Albar delivers his closing remarks
(Photo is the courtesy of Bernama)
Dato’ Seri Syed Hamid Albar, Chairman of the 39th ASEAN Standing Committee (ASC) and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, closed the 4th and final meeting of the 39th ASC on 24 July 2006, stressing the need for the ASC to take the lead in guiding and coordinating the various ASEAN committees and sectoral bodies to intensify regional cooperation and ensure that ASEAN stays on track to realise the ASEAN Community by 2020.
On ASEAN’s external relations, Syed Hamid Albar noted that dialogue relations with some countries had reached new levels in the past year and he also highlighted the successful convening of the first East Asia Summit in December 2005 in Kuala Lumpur.
Closer to home, he emphasised ASEAN’s continued desire to “bring ASEAN to the people”, noting that the theme for the 39th Anniversary of ASEAN (to be celebrated on 8 August 2006) will be “ASEAN and Young People”.
The 39th ASC met in advance of the 39th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) scheduled for 25 July 2006. With the close of the 39th ASC, the chairmanship of the ASC will be passed from Malaysia to the Philippines.
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Click
here for the Remarks by the Honourable Dato’ Seri Syed Hamid Albar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia at the Closing Session of the 4th Meeting of the 39th ASEAN Standing Committee, Kuala Lumpur, 24 July 2006
