BRUNEI'S forthcoming chairmanship of ASEAN for 2013 will pave the way
for progress and a new architecture of cooperation, said ASEAN Secretary-General
Dr Surin Pitsuwan yesterday in a press conference at the 21st ASEAN Summit in
Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Echoing sentiments from a recent
exclusive interview with The Brunei Times, Dr Surin said that Brunei is very
capable and very able in steering the ASEAN Community towards meeting its
looming 2015 deadline. The community building agenda is set to take precedence
during the three-day summit at the capital's Peace Palace.
He told reporters yesterday that
His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam assured Brunei
is ready for its ASEAN chairmanship. I have just asked the Sultan of Brunei, His
Majesty: is Brunei ready? He said: yes, of course, recalled Dr Surin.
The ASEAN Secretary-General noted
that Brunei has been very active in the run-up to its chairmanship of ASEAN
commencing on 1 January, 2013. Brunei has been very active (with) consulting,
preparing and working behind the curtain plus planning for its own
chairmanship, he said.
He elaborated that being a small
country allows Brunei to be very agile, which he previously said will enable
the Sultanate to navigate through the sensitive issues that analysts anticipate
would arise in next years summits.
We have full confidence that the
Sultan, acting as chair of ASEAN next year, will bring a lot of progress to the
ASEAN Community and contributing to community building and a new architecture
of cooperation here in Southeast Asia, said Dr Surin at the press conference
yesterday. He also highlighted Brunei's 28-year membership in ASEAN as well as
its experience in hosting the ASEAN Summit in 2001 and the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 2002. Brunei has a lot of initiatives
being readied for the consideration of the ASEAN leaders, he said.
Brunei is due to receive
chairmanship of ASEAN for 2013 in a symbolic handover ceremony slated during
the closing of the 21st ASEAN Summit and related summits on November 20.
The handover ceremony will take
place between His Majesty and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
RABIATUL KAMIT
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