Events on July 26, the last day of the 49th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-49) and related meetings are expected to focus on key issues of the region as well as matters of regional and international concerns.

The 17th ASEAN+3 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting between the ASEAN and its partners China, Japan and the Republic of Korea will review the progress of their working plan during 2013-2017 and consider what to be included in the plan for the next period. Preparations for the ASEAN+3 Summit Meeting in the upcoming September, including a Declaration proposed by Laos, will also be tabled.

An overview of AMM 49 in Laos

The 6th meeting of East Asia Summit (EAS) foreign ministers will discuss the forming regional structure and the EAS’s role as well as the implementation of the Declaration marking the EAS’s 10th anniversary issued in November 2015. The ministers will also consider measures to strengthen the EAS mechanism, such as establishing the CPR+8 (Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN) in Jakarta and an EAS body within the ASEAN Secretariat.

The foreign ministers are to examine preparations for the EAS Summit Meeting slated for September, including a draft statement initiated by Australia on preventing nuclear proliferation, the draft Vientiane declaration on accelerating cooperation for infrastructure development proposed by Laos and two US-sponsored draft declarations on preventing nuclear proliferation and on migrants and human trafficking.

The 23rd ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum) foreign ministers’ meeting will discuss the implementation of trust-building and preventive diplomatic measures in the past mid-term year and adopt a list of activities for the next mid-term year (2016-2017).

The meeting is expected to adopt statements on tightening border control to prevent criminal movement (initiated by China), on recent terrorist attacks (proposed by Japan) and on enhancing cooperation among law enforcement forces at sea (sponsored by Vietnam).

Other issues to be tabled include the East Sea, the Korean Peninsula, terrorism and extreme violence, human trafficking and abnormal migration.

Source: VNA