Fourth ASEAN Informal Summit BeginsThe Fourth ASEAN Informal Summit began for discussions of issues the leaders are concerned about and interested in on the morning of November 24.Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong of Singapore, as a host, was the first speaker at the roundtable meeting. The summit is expected to discuss the two reports ASEAN foreign minister agreed at their Thursday's meeting to present to this summit. One is the report presented by ASEAN's Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on steps toward achieving ASEAN's "Vision 2020". The EPG, which was tasked with recommending measures to help create a vibrant and prosperous ASEAN by 2020, met over the past 18 months and came up with a range of recommendations covering financial, trade and investment, social, education and culture, health£¬external relations and institutions. Informed sources said that EPG has urged ASEAN to take an active lead in building a regional financial architecture in East Asia towards a new global reform. The other report was presented by ASEAN - Japan Consultation Conference on the Hanoi Plan of Action endorsed by the Sixth ASEAN Summit held at Hanoi at the end of 1998. Some 45 points of recommendations in various areas were reportedly contained in the document with a view to enhance the cooperation between ASEAN and Japan. As at previous informal summits, ASEAN leaders attending the ongoing summit are believed to talk about whatever subjects they would like to touch regarding this regional grouping. Leaders GatheringHeads of state or government of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and East Asian countries are arriving in Singapore Thursday (November 23) for summits scheduled for Friday and Saturday.Among the leaders arriving here are Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Lao Prime Minister Sisavath Keobounpanth, Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Myanmar Prime Minister Than Shwe, Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, Philippine President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, Brunei Sultan Haji Hassnal Bolkiah and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. Officials Prepare for ASEAN SummitSenior officials from members of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) and East Asian countries gathered November 23 to make preparations for later summits which will involve ASEAN and East Asian leaders.The fourth ASEAN Informal Summit, said the officials, is expected to focus on topics of strengthening the regional grouping's unity and moving its integration process forward. |
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