ASEAN foreign ministers wrapped up their two-day meeting in Vietnam on Thursday with a thorough discussion on disaster management, human rights enforcement and the future of a new regional architecture, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said.
Myanmar's 2010 election, the first in two decades, and the accession of non-ASEAN countries into the grouping's security pact of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation were also discussed in detail during the ASEAN ministers' retreat meeting at Da Nang city, the ministry said Friday.
It said that the ministers deliberated on the progress of the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) as its ten commissioners worked on elaborating the body's mandate into operational activities.
"The Ministers restated AICHR's status as the overarching human rights institution in ASEAN and shared views on the parallel development of other institutions, such as those related to the protection and promotion of women, children and migrant rights," it said.
Other issues on highlight, among others, are ASEAN community building, regional architecture in the Asia-Pacific, following the new grouping initiatives floated by Australia and Japan and how it will relate to the ASEAN centrality, cooperation with Dialogue Partners and outreach programs among ASEAN countries.
"Indonesia and ASEAN share the view that the development of regional architecture not only needs to recognize the significance of ASEAN as a driving force, but also must be carried out with a view to strengthening efforts toward ASEAN Community-building. At the same time, efforts at ASEAN Community-building must also be implemented within each ASEAN member countries' domestic conditions to elevate ASEAN Centrality.
"The substance of ASEAN's relations with Dialogue Partners will be enhanced, such as with the European Union, the United States, Russia, New Zealand and the Gulf Cooperation Council, to support efforts in building ASEAN Community by 2015."
The Ministers also exchanged views on the ASEAN Connectivity agreement, which will facilitate better mobility for people through the improvement of infrastructure and communication.
Indonesia Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa and his ASEAN counterparts, as well as other officials, also visited Second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge crossing over the Mekong River bordering Laos and Thailand.
The trip was part of the ASEAN Familiarization trip to see the East-West Economic Corridor, which crosses over Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.
