Bangkok hosts ASEAN Foreign Ministers meetings from today
The 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting starts today. Representatives from more than 30 countries will attend the meetings. The regional talkfest is being held at Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre.
Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai will chair the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and co-chair the Post Ministerial Conferences with the Dialogue Partners and other meetings. Other meetings include the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, the 20th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the 9th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and the 26th ASEAN Regional Forum.
The US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo arrives in Bangkok tomororw to reaffirm the US commitment to ASEAN. He will co-chair the US-ASEAN Ministerial and Lower Mekong Initiative Ministerial meetings on August 1.
On August 2, he will deliver a speech at the Siam Society on US economic engagement in the Asia-Pacific region. Mr Pompeo will then attend the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum ministerial meetings, and hold talks with FM Don Pramudwinai to discuss ways to further strengthen the US-Thai alliance. Mr Pompeo leaves for Australia on Aug 3.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet with PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and FM Don on July 30, prior to taking part in the ASEAN-Russia Ministerial Meeting the following day.
Mekong sub-regional and other meetings will also take place in which more than 30 countries will attend these conferences.
According to one of the officials, the bloc will focus on issues in the ASEAN Leaders’ Vision Statement on Partnership for Sustainability.
The official stressed that the bloc will allow stakeholders to discuss ongoing concerns, such as the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar and the dispute in the South China Sea.
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