외교부

Press Statement by the Chairman of ASEAN on the Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
ASEAN Secretariat, 15 December 2008

1.  The Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting/Inaugural Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council was convened at the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, Indonesia, on 15 December 2008.  The Meeting was attended by Foreign Ministers of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Viet Nam, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Lao DPR, the Senior Official of Cambodia and the Secretary-General of ASEAN.  The Meeting was chaired by H.E. Dr. Mun Patanotai, Minister of Information and Communication Technology and the Special Envoy of the Royal Thai Government.

2.   The Foreign Ministers of ASEAN Member States expressed their understanding for Thailand’s decision to postpone the 14th ASEAN Summit.  The Meeting also expressed confidence and solidarity with Thailand as ASEAN Chair and host of the Summit. In this connection, the Meeting agreed that the Summit take place in Thailand before the end of February 2009.
 
3.   The Meeting also took the opportunity to welcome the entry into force of the ASEAN Charter on 15 December 2008.  In this regard, H.E. Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the Republic of Indonesia, was invited to address the event to welcome the entry into force of the ASEAN Charter. The newly designated ASEAN Anthem was also played for the first time at an official ASEAN function. 

4.  The Meeting reiterated the commitment of all ASEAN Member States to fully implement the provisions of the Charter.  In this regard, they discussed the newly established organs namely the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN in Jakarta, the ASEAN Coordinating Council and the three ASEAN Community Councils for Political-Security, Economic and Socio-Cultural Communities.      
5.   The ASEAN Foreign Ministers also discussed other aspects of implementing the ASEAN Charter including issues relating to budget, restructuring and strengthening of the ASEAN Secretariat as well as the appointment of the two new openly recruited Deputies Secretary-General of ASEAN.

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