ASEAN officials begin arriving in Jakarta

ASEAN ministers and entourage have started arriving in Jakarta Thursday for the 18th ASEAN Summit opening here on Saturday, May 7, 2011.

According to the airport security task force for the ASEAN Summit 2011, the ASEAN ministers and their delegations are arriving at the Soekarno Hatta airport here and at Halim Perdanakusuma airport in Bandung.

Wing 1 commander of Halim Perdanakusuma air base Colonel Tribowo said five of six senior ASEAN officials arrived there.

The six are deputy secretary of the Thai Prime Minister, Vietnamese Industry Minister, Myanmarese Trade Minister, Myanmarese Foreign Minister, Laotian Foreign Minister, and Cambodian Foreign Minister. 

The ASEAN leader who have arrived at Halim Perdanakusuma is Myanmarese Head of State General U Thein Sein.

The 18th ASEAN Summit will discuss a number of issues relating to three ASEAN pillars for an earlier formation of the ASEAN Community in 2015, including political and security, economic, and socio-cultural aspects.

With regard to political and security aspects, several agendas will cover transnational crime, including terrorism and the peaceful handling of conflicts between ASEAN member countries following the recent bloody border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia.

Issues on ASEAN economic pillars will concern energy and food security.

With regard to social and cultural issues, the ASEAN delegates will discuss the formation of an ASEAN community. The summit will also evaluate of what had been achieved by each ASEAN country in dealing with the three main pillars.

Source: ANTARA