President Yudhoyono encourages ASEAN leaders-parliamentary cooperation

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had encouraged an increase of cooperation between leaders of the ASEAN and Southeast Asian parliaments to smooth the ASEAN policy adaptation to the national level.

"Lots of agreements reached in the summit must be ratified. In effort to run the ratification properly, parliamentary should be involved earlier in the ASEAN decision-making," the president said in the meeting between the ASEAN leaders and the ASEAN Parliamentary Delegation as part of the 24th ASEAN Summit here on Sunday.

According to him, early involvement of the parliaments will avoid gap of views between the ASEAN leaders and the parliaments, as the ASEAN policies cover the national, regional and global interests. 

President Yudhoyono said in attending any ASEAN event, he always invite representative of the Indonesian parliament in his entourage.

Meanwhile, Myanmarese President Thein Sein stated that the ASEAN parliaments have participated in establishing the ASEAN Community.

Thein Sein also said that ASEAN which was initially the inter-governmental organization is now transforming into a community-oriented organization.

In the meantime, ASEAN parliamentary delegation said that the ASEAN parliaments have been pushing issues to step up the role of women and the protection of migrant workers in the region.

The 24th ASEAN Summit officially opened by Myanmarese President Thein Sein at the Myanmar International Convention Center (MICC) on Sunday was attended by Brunei leader Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodian Prime Minister, and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Also Laos Prime Minister Thongsing Thamavong, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Tan Dung, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III and special envoy of Thailand namely Thai Deputy Prime Minister Phongthepth Epkanjana.

ASEAN which was established in 1967 comprising Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Source: ANTARA