"Retreat" format allows leaders to raise any issues at coming ASEAN summits

Source: Xinhuanet | 12-07-2006 08:34

EBU, the Philippines, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit will set up a "retreat" format to enable participating countries leaders to freely raise any questions they want during the forthcoming ASEAN Summit and related summits, an organizing committee official said here Wednesday.

Under the "retreat" format, there are no specific agenda and leaders of the participating countries are free to raise any issues during the summits, Luis Cruz, Philippine Assistant Secretary-General of Department of Foreign Affairs and director general for ASEAN Affairs, told a press briefing held in Cebu International Convention Center here Wednesday.

Cruz said he believe the situation on the Korean Peninsula is expected to be raised as one of the topics during the "retreat" format.

"I'm sure many of them (participating countries leaders) will mention the issue and come up with proposals on how to address the situation in that area," he said.

All ASEAN member countries leaders will meet to review internal cooperation and take into consideration initiatives towards the creation of an ASEAN Community, another hot topics expected to be discussed during the ASEAN Summit and related summits from Dec. 10-14.

"Many may also want to focus on issues that will address poverty eradication in the region and ways to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development goals to which many member countries have acceded to," he said.

Prior to the formal ASEAN Summit and related summits, ASEAN Senior Officials Summit, ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, together with other summits, will be held as of Thursday.

The leaders from the bloc's 10 member countries will also hold the annual ASEAN sub-regional grouping summits such as the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asia Growth (BIMP-EAGA), the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) and the Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam Grouping (CLMV).

There are also four separate summits of ASEAN leaders with the leaders from China, Japan, Republic of Korea and India; the ASEAN Plus Three Summit, which is attended by leaders of ASEAN, China, Japan and Republic of Korea; and the second East Asia Summit (EAS),which brings together the leaders of ASEAN, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India.

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

Editor:Du Xiaodan