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ASEAN to back development, climate change
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is leaving for Hanoi on Wednesday to attend the 16th ASEAN Summit, and is expected to sign new ASEAN agreements on sustainable development and climate change
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resident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is leaving for Hanoi on Wednesday to attend the 16th ASEAN Summit, and is expected to sign new ASEAN agreements on sustainable development and climate change.
Presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said in Jakarta on Tuesday that the President will visit Hanoi for four days, returning to Jakarta on Saturday.
But Myanmar, due to hold its first election in two decades, could again test ASEAN’s consensus when the group that includes a monarchy, a military dictatorship, communist states and democracies turns to discuss political developments during the April 8-9 summit.
On Monday, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said the biggest economy in the group would highlight progress on Myanmar’s reforms.
“During this opportunity, the heads of ASEAN states and governments will exchange views on implementation of the ASEAN Chapter and the road map for the ASEAN community…”
Dino added the President would sign two Summit documents: The ASEAN Statement on Economic Recovery and Sustainable Development and the ASEAN Statement on Joint Responses to Climate Change.
“The joint response to climate change relates to our stance on the results of the 15th COP [Conference of Parties] meeting in Copenhagen, ahead of the next COP meeting in Mexico,” he said.
“As you all known, Indonesia expects a final, binding global treaty by the end of this year, and ASEAN needs to play an active role to ensure the achievement of a global consensus on climate change.”
Quoting a draft statement, Reuters reported Tuesday that the Southeast Asian leaders would consider ways to phase out economic stimulus policies without jeopardizing recovery in the fast-growing region at the Hanoi summit.
Another draft, the “ASEAN Surveillance Report”, says that ASEAN economies are expected to grow by between 4.9 and 5.6 percent in 2010, as against 1.9 percent last year. An earlier draft estimated 2010 growth at 4.5 percent.
Dino added Yudhoyono will send Vice President Boediono to represent him in the Nuclear Security Summit, hosted by US President Barack Obama in Washington DC, on April 12-13.
He added that Boediono was also expected to represent the President in a roundtable discussion on Millennium Development Goals numbers four and five on health to be hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in New York on April 14.
