Asean Still Important To Member Countries Says Sec Gen

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Asean secretary-general Kao Kim Hourn speaking to the media after the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Langkawi today.KUAH (Langkawi): Asean secretary-general Kao Kim Hourn has dismissed concerns over the relevance of the regional bloc, saying that all member states continue to view Asean as a fundamental part of their foreign policy.
In response to media questions about the views of Indonesia and the Philippines, Kao said “Indonesia wants to see a much stronger Asean than ever before” while Philippine foreign secretary Enrique Manalo had spoken extensively about how crucial Asean remains to his country.
“I can say that all Asean member states have always emphasised that Asean is important to their foreign policy. It’s a cornerstone with respect to foreign policy,” he said.
Indonesia is believed to be giving Asean less priority after president Prabowo Subianto skipped informal meetings last December, while the Philippines has been seen to be acting alone in taking the most aggressive stance on territorial conflicts in the South China Sea.
“I think what I have been hearing from Indonesia – there’s a lot of reassurances, a lot of commitment being made, that Indonesia wants to see a much stronger Asean than ever before,” Kao said.
Kao also dismissed the notion that Asean’s consensual-based decision-making and principles of non-interference were hindering its ability to handle issues such as the Myanmar crisis and the South China Sea.
On the South China Sea, Kao said Asean is still actively negotiating a code of conduct, while reiterating the bloc’s commitment to advancing a five-point plan on dealing with Myanmar. -  Mkini

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