ID :
13597
Wed, 07/23/2008 - 21:54
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/13597
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China, Japan, Australia, NZ, Russia to appoint ambassadors to ASEAN
SINGAPORE, July 23 Kyodo - China, Japan, Russia, Australia and New Zealand on Wednesday made clear their plans to appoint ambassadors to handle their relations with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as the United States did earlier thisyear.
ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan told reporters after annual bilateral meetings between ASEAN foreign ministers and their counterparts from outside the region that Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi ''announced that China would be appointing the Chinese ambassador to ASEAN soon.'' Australia, he said, similarly informed him ''that they are thinking very, very actively about promoting further cooperation between Australia and ASEAN also by appointing an ambassador to ASEAN.''New Zealand has expressed a wish to follow suit, an ASEAN official said.
Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura told his ASEAN counterparts that preparations are under way for appointment of an ambassador to ASEAN once the landmark ASEAN Charter takes effect, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted by Itar-Tass news agency as saying Russia will appoint its envoy to ASEAN ''after the association's Charter enters into force'' and that Russia is ready to discuss the opening of an ASEAN office on its territory.
Under the ASEAN Charter, adopted by member states in November last year but yet to be ratified by all of them, countries that have been designated as ''dialogue partners'' of ASEAN are encouraged to appoint ambassadors to work with the Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat and a committee of ambassadors from each ASEAN member state that is to be set up there next year.
In April, the United States became the first ASEAN dialogue partner to take the step, with the confirmation of Scot Marciel as ''U.S. ambassador for ASEAN affairs.'' He also serves as deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific affairs.
Surin said the decisions made by dialogue partners to appoint ambassadors to ASEAN demonstrate recognition of the importance of their relations with ASEAN.
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Its dialogue partners, ASEAN's term for those nations and entities with which it has established regular formal discussions, are Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, the United States and the U.N. Development Program.
ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan told reporters after annual bilateral meetings between ASEAN foreign ministers and their counterparts from outside the region that Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi ''announced that China would be appointing the Chinese ambassador to ASEAN soon.'' Australia, he said, similarly informed him ''that they are thinking very, very actively about promoting further cooperation between Australia and ASEAN also by appointing an ambassador to ASEAN.''New Zealand has expressed a wish to follow suit, an ASEAN official said.
Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura told his ASEAN counterparts that preparations are under way for appointment of an ambassador to ASEAN once the landmark ASEAN Charter takes effect, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted by Itar-Tass news agency as saying Russia will appoint its envoy to ASEAN ''after the association's Charter enters into force'' and that Russia is ready to discuss the opening of an ASEAN office on its territory.
Under the ASEAN Charter, adopted by member states in November last year but yet to be ratified by all of them, countries that have been designated as ''dialogue partners'' of ASEAN are encouraged to appoint ambassadors to work with the Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat and a committee of ambassadors from each ASEAN member state that is to be set up there next year.
In April, the United States became the first ASEAN dialogue partner to take the step, with the confirmation of Scot Marciel as ''U.S. ambassador for ASEAN affairs.'' He also serves as deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific affairs.
Surin said the decisions made by dialogue partners to appoint ambassadors to ASEAN demonstrate recognition of the importance of their relations with ASEAN.
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Its dialogue partners, ASEAN's term for those nations and entities with which it has established regular formal discussions, are Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, the United States and the U.N. Development Program.
