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ASEAN to put more efforts to narrow gaps

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-07-21 23:48

PHUKET, Thailand：ASEAN foreign ministers agreed on Tuesday to put more efforts to narrow the region's development gaps, said Vitavas Srivihok, Director-General of the ASEAN Affairs Department of the Thai Foreign Ministry.

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The ministers discussed the progress made on the implementation of the 11 priority areas of cooperation under the ASEAN Political and Security Council (APSC), said Vitavas.

The 11 political and security issues of the APSC include the setting up of guidelines for accession to the 1976 Treaty of Amityand Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia, the enhancement of the cooperation with civil society organization in the fight against non-traditional security problems, and the finalization of an ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) vision statement, he said.

The APSC is a new body that was set up when the ASEAN Charter came into effect in 2008, with the ASEAN foreign ministers serving as members of the Council.

Vitavas was speaking during his participation in the 42nd ASEANForeign Ministers' Meeting, Post Ministerial Conferences and 16th ASEAN Regional Forum, which have been organized in a southern province of Phuket from July 17-23.

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