Regional integration progressing at ASEAN talks
November 19, 2012, Monday
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members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should bring the treaties ratified into practice in their joint endeavor to realize the ASEAN Community by 2015, a top official said yesterday.
At the ongoing ASEAN summit in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said that participating leaders, in their talks, have been satisfied with the progress made in seeking regional integration.
"Some 74-75 percent of major instruments of cooperation among ASEAN members on establishing the community have been ratified by the member states," Pitsuwan said.
However, he stressed: "Each member state will have to bring the treaties to implementation and practice from regional level down to the state level."
Delegates told reporters that the AEC will be launched at the end of 2015 - December 31 - rather than on January 1, 2015 as originally envisioned.
The community would integrate the diverse nations' economies, covering trade, investment and other measures.
Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had proposed the later start date and won the approval of all members. He said the ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting had earlier agreed the implementation could begin on January 1, 2015, but the leaders agreed yesterday that much work had yet to be done.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in the Cambodia capital yesterday to join expanded ASEAN meetings for the next two days.
US President Barack Obama will also fly to Cambodia today to attend the so-called East Asia Summit, an annual forum where ASEAN leaders and their counterparts from eight other nations, including China and the US, would discuss security and economic concerns.
During the summit, the leaders are expected to announce the start of negotiations for an expanded free-trade area involving ASEAN member countries and six regional economic powerhouses that include China but exclude the US.
At the ongoing ASEAN summit in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said that participating leaders, in their talks, have been satisfied with the progress made in seeking regional integration.
"Some 74-75 percent of major instruments of cooperation among ASEAN members on establishing the community have been ratified by the member states," Pitsuwan said.
However, he stressed: "Each member state will have to bring the treaties to implementation and practice from regional level down to the state level."
Delegates told reporters that the AEC will be launched at the end of 2015 - December 31 - rather than on January 1, 2015 as originally envisioned.
The community would integrate the diverse nations' economies, covering trade, investment and other measures.
Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had proposed the later start date and won the approval of all members. He said the ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting had earlier agreed the implementation could begin on January 1, 2015, but the leaders agreed yesterday that much work had yet to be done.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in the Cambodia capital yesterday to join expanded ASEAN meetings for the next two days.
US President Barack Obama will also fly to Cambodia today to attend the so-called East Asia Summit, an annual forum where ASEAN leaders and their counterparts from eight other nations, including China and the US, would discuss security and economic concerns.
During the summit, the leaders are expected to announce the start of negotiations for an expanded free-trade area involving ASEAN member countries and six regional economic powerhouses that include China but exclude the US.
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