Asean leaders looking forward to RP visit

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said yesterday that delegates from other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are looking forward to visiting the Philippines next year.

The Philippines will assume the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2006 after Myanmar gave up its seat, claiming it had to focus on improving its own political situation.

Romulo said in a statement from Vientiane, Laos, where he attended the 38th ASEAN ministerial conference, that he had received several suggestions from ASEAN and other diplomats that the Philippines should host the meet in other places in the country. The conference ended Saturday.

"There is a great interest in seeing other parts of the Philippines. Many have asked that we consider holding some of our meetings outside Manila. This is a proposal that we will certainly give very serious consideration and we will be consulting the Department of Tourism and the concerned local government officials on this," he said.

Aside from ASEAN member countries, Romulo said the Philippines expects official visitors from dialogue partners like Australia, China, European Commission, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, the United States and other member countries of the United Nations.

"While we would host a number of very senior officials most of these visitors will be coming and staying in the Philippines at their own expense. Our chairmanship will not only be a great honor but also a wonderful opportunity to showcase to the world what

the Philippines has to offer not only as a tourist destination but also as an investment and trade partner," he added.

The Philippines will take over the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2006 after the military-ruled Myanmar announced last Tuesday in Vientiane, Laos its decision to relinquish the chairmanship of the regional grouping.

Myanmar said during the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Vientiane that it wanted to focus its attention on national reconciliation efforts and the democratization process. Its representative said 2006 will be a critical year for them and that Yangon wants to devote its full attention to the process.

Manila’s takeover of the ASEAN chairmanship is based on alphabetical rotation.

"The Philippines is prepared to assume the chairmanship after the term of Malaysia (ends) in 2006. With the close cooperation of the other ASEAN members, I am confident in the success of our chairmanship of the ASEAN," Romulo said.

Manila will begin preparations to host the ASEAN meetings in the middle of next year.

"We look forward to working with other members of the ASEAN, our dialogue partners and all those involved in the ASEAN process… in chairing the ASEAN at a time when efforts continue to be made to build an ASEAN community and craft an ASEAN Charter and securing a central role for ASEAN in the future of regionalization in East Asia," Romulo said.

This year’s ministerial meeting tackled initiatives to further strengthen regional cooperation and hasten regional integration, including a Philippine proposal to forge an ASEAN Charter.

The foreign ministry officials who attended the meeting had been expected to decide on whether or not to allow Myanmar to assume the chairmanship of ASEAN next year, but this was rendered moot when the military-ruled country voluntarily gave up the seat.

The ministerial meeting is held annually, prior to the summit, and is held in the capital city of the country currently presiding over the ASEAN standing committee, the highest policy-making body of the group between summits.

The foreign ministers were expected to discuss the Vientiane Action Program, the blueprint of ASEAN activities for until 2010. The VAP, along with the Hanoi Plan of Action and similar plans will serve as building blocks for the establishment of the ASEAN community.

The VAP also covers programs to implement the three action plans for the ASEAN security, economic and socio-cultural communities.

At the ministerial meeting, the foreign ministry officials were briefed on the progress and implementation of the various plans of action and the VAP.

They also discussed the first East Asia Summit, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur, and the ASEAN Charter that was originally proposed by the Philippines over three decades ago.

They had been expected to adopt the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response and the ASEAN Development Fund, which will be the source of funding to carry out the VAP.