ASEAN to Promote a Comprehensive Development Agenda

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will promote a more comprehensive development agenda to prepare the region for globalization, enhance the region 's economic competitiveness and create more people-centered societies, said its foreign ministers Tuesday in a joint communiqu¨¦ at the end of their annual meeting in Bangkok.

During the two-day 33rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, the foreign ministers of 10 ASEAN members discussed the main elements of a more comprehensive development agenda, including augmenting the process of greater outreach to the people, enhancing ASEAN's economic integration and advancing the development of ASEAN "as a concert of nations."

The foreign ministers agreed that the overall security environment in the Southeast Asian region remains stable and peaceful despite the existence of certain challenges, approving the constitution of the ASEAN "Troika" -- a decision-making group to take the lead in dealing with issues of the region.

They stressed that it was particularly important for the major powers to work together with countries of Asia-Pacific to further enhance peace, stability and prosperity of the region.

While commending Indonesia for all its efforts in resolving the East Timor issue, the ministers also reiterated their continuing support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of Indonesia.

ASEAN ministers reaffirmed their "One China" policy and expressed the hope to see positive developments on the cross-strait relations.

They welcomed the commitment of all parties concerned to resolving disputes in the South China Sea by peaceful means in accordance with the recognized principles of international law as well as to ensure the freedom of navigation in the area.

They added in the communique that they were gratified by the steady momentum of East Asian cooperation within the context of the ASEAN+3 forum involving China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. They considered this forum as a significant contribution to the political and economic stability of East Asia.

They also welcomed the continued strengthening of economic recovery in the region, noting that advancement of ASEAN's economic integration will serve to underline the comprehensive and steady integration of the ASEAN economies into a combined market of over 500 million people.

They renewed the ASEAN's call for a wider participation of developing countries in the reform of the international financial architecture as well as the urgency in the implementation of the reform.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The ASEAN annual ministerial meeting precedes the organization's talks on July 26 with China, Japan and South Korea and talks with more countries including the United States, Russia, the European Union and others on security issues on July 28-29.







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