Surin Pitsuwan Named To Top Asean Post

[george]

Thailand's ex-FM Surin named to top ASEAN post

MANILA: -- The assembled Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers have designated Thailand's former foreign minister Surin Pitsuwan as ASEAN secretary general, scheduled to take office on Januanry 1 next year, deputy foreign ministry spokesman Piriya Khempol said Monday.

During the 40th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Manila, the Philippines, Dr. Surin was nominated unopposed and designated as the next ASEAN secretary general, effective Jan. 1, 2008. The official announcement of the Thai candidate as the regional body's chief executive by ASEAN leaders is scheduled for Singapore in November.

Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram's nomination of Dr. Surin as ASEAN secretary general was immediately welcomed with applause by his counterparts from throughout the region.

Dr. Surin, currently a member of Thailand's National Legislative Assembly, pledged to put forward the efforts to resolve problems regarding economic disparities among ASEAN member states and to set up the so-called East Asia Community which will not only include the current ASEAN states but also Japan, South Korea and China.

The new grouping will also deal with other communities in the wider Asia and Pacific regions as well as the United States, Russia and Europe.

In the current era of globalisation, the 40-year-old ASEAN community, which consists of 10 countries and 535 million people, would not prosper without constructive relationships in terms of international trade, investment and other economic developments with others, the ex-foreign minister commented.

The designate ASEAN secretary general said the ASEAN community should continue to foster political solidarity among the member states, besides extending economic cooperation, and also help the new member states, namely Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, develop their respective natural and human resources to an optimum extent. Those member states have plenty of untapped natural resources but limited know-how, he said.

Meanwhile, the ASEAN foreign ministers planned to set up a regional human rights body , details of which are scheduled for discussion from August until November in Brunei, Laos, Singapore and Thailand.

The planned human rights organisation will be stipulated in an ASEAN charter to be announced by the ASEAN foreign ministers during a United Nations conference in New York in September.

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

--TNA 2007-07-31

[Mid]

and the Nation had can interesting editorial ...........................

[dr_Pat_Pong]

A really good man and very capable. He will do well.