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Special retreat for Asean (Malaysia



Subject: Special retreat for Asean (Malaysia News)

Saturday, July 17, 1999

                  Special retreat for Asean foreign ministers

                  By Mazwin Nik Anis 

                  SINGAPORE: Asean foreign ministers will take time off
from their annual
                  meeting here next week for a retreat to reappraise and
re-evaluate the
                  South-East Asian grouping. 

                  The 10 foreign ministers would attend the retreat minus
their officials to enable
                  them to speak frankly and candidly on matters relating to
the grouping. 

                  A Singapore Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman told a
press briefing that the
                  meeting would enable the ministers to discuss ways to
find realistic solutions
                  to Asean problems. 

                  However, he cautioned the media against expecting any
dramatic
                  announcement from the retreat at Sentosa Island. It would
be held after the
                  32nd Asean Ministerial Meeting's (AMM) official opening
by Singapore Prime
                  Minister Goh Chok Tong next Friday. 

                  "There will be not be any specific agenda for the
ministers during the retreat but
                  they are expected to discuss on policies affecting Asean
which need to be
                  preserved or modified," he said. 

                  Diplomats and foreign affairs analysts have questioned
the future and
                  co-operation among Asean members since the region was hit
by financial crisis
                  two years ago. 

                  Apart from the AMM, Singapore would also host the Asean
Regional Forum and
                  Post-Ministerial Conference from July 20 to 28. 

                  The ARF would see the participation of Australia, Canada,
European Union,
                  United States, Japan, China, South Korea, India,
Mongolia, Russia, New
                  Zealand and Papua New Guinea.