Najib Leads Malaysian Delegation To 15th Asean Summit

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is leading the Malaysian delegation to the three-day 15th Asean Summit in Cha-am Hua Hin, Thailand, starting Friday.

He will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman, Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed and senior ministry officials.

A Foreign Ministry statement here says that Najib is also scheduled to have bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Asean member states and the dialogue partners in Cha-am Hua Hin.

During the summit, themed "Enhancing Connectivity, Empowering Peoples", the leaders will be exchanging views on regional and international issues of common concern to Asean, such as Asean connectivity, global economic and financial crisis, food security, disaster management and other issues.

Malaysia views the Asean summit and related summits as important fora in pursuing and achieving the various goals, to ensure that Asean remains relevant in face of current and future challenges, the statement says.

It is also an opportunity to take stock and review the status of cooperation with its dialogue partners with a view to deepening and strengthening the existing relations.

The summit will be held at the Dusit Thani Hotel, Hua Hin, today, followed by a retreat tomorrow before the Asean Plus 1 summits with China, Japan, Republic of Korea (ROK) and India as well as the 12th Asean Plus Three Summit.

The 4th East Asia Summit involving Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea and the 6th Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) will be held on Sunday.

The Asean leaders will also inaugurate the launch of the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) to promote and protect human rights in the region.

They are expected to adopt four documents, namely, the Cha-am Hua Hin Declaration on the Inauguration of the ASEAN Intergovermental Commission on Human Rights, Cha-am Hua Hin Declaration on Strengthening Cooperation on Education to Achieve an Asean Caring and Sharing Community, Asean Declaration on Climate Change and Asean Leaders' Statement on Asean Connectivity.

They will also issue four other documents with their Dialogue Partners namely, the Cha-am Hua Hin Statement on Asean Plus Three Cooperation on Food Security and Bio-Energy Development, Cha-am Hua Hin Statement on East Asia Summit Disaster Management, Joint Press Release of the 4th East Asia Summit on the Revival of Nalanda University and Statement to Celebrate the Completion and Entry into Force of the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA).

In addition, the Asean foreign ministers will sign the Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of Asean and Memorandum of Understanding on Establishing the Asean-China Centre.

The Asean economic ministers will sign the Memorandum of Understanding between Asean and China on Cooperation in the Field of Intellectual Property and Memorandum of Understanding between Asean and China on Strengthening Cooperation in the Field of Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment.

At the sidelines of the summit, the Asean leaders will also have informal meetings with representatives from the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, Youth and Civil Society Organisations to enhance dialogue and public participation in line with the efforts to transform Asean into a people-oriented organisation.