ASEAN information officials gather in Cambodia to boost ASEAN awareness

[geovalin]

ASEAN information officials gather in Cambodia to boost ASEAN awareness

PHNOM PENH, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Ministry of Information hosted the 15th meeting of ASEAN sub-committee on information on Wednesday to discuss ways to promote ASEAN awareness among ASEAN member states and the outside world.

The two-day meeting brought together information officials from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Has Sam Ath, deputy chief of administration department at the Cambodia's Ministry of Information, said the meeting would consider and endorse 13 new projects to be implemented in 2015 among ASEAN countries and examine 16 projects to be carried out between ASEAN and its dialogue partners.

Cambodian Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith said the meeting was also a stone-breaking event laying ground work for the preparation of the 11th conference of ASEAN Ministers of Information, which will take place in Myanmar next month.

"Many projects discussed here will be submitted for consideration and approval at the ASEAN information ministerial conference," he said.

Meanwhile, the minister stressed that media has been playing a very important role in contributing to achieving the ASEAN common goals, especially for the ASEAN Community building by the end of 2015.

"Media plays a vital role in the promotion of ASEAN awareness and its understanding in the international community," he said. " It is also an important medium to get the ASEAN people be connected among themselves and with the people in the region and in the whole world."

Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/xinhua-news-agency/140521/asean-information-officials-gather-cambodia-boost-asean-awar