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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.