INDONESIA THE 9TH ASEAN MEMBER TO DEPOSIT RATIFICATION INSTRUMENT

By Mohd Nasir Yusoff

JAKARTA, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- Indonesia Thursday deposited its instrument of
ratification of the Asean Charter at the Asean Secretariat here, making it the
ninth member state to have done so.

Acting Director for Political, Security and Territorial Treaties,
Department
of Foreign Affairs, Haris Nugroho, handed over the instrument of ratification to
Deputy Asean Secretary-General Nicholas T. Dammen who received it on behalf of
Dr Surin Pitsuwan, the Secretary-General of the 10-member grouping.

"I would like to thank Indonesia for their support of the Asean Charter
process. Counting Indonesia, nine Asean member states have now deposited their
instruments of ratification.

"We are right on track to have the entry into force of the Asean Charter by
the 14th Asean Summit," Surin said in a statement, expressing his
delight.

Thailand is the remaining Asean member state which has yet to deposit its
instrument of ratification.

The Asean Charter will enter into force on the 13th day following the date
of deposit of the last instrument of ratification.

On Nov 3, the Philippines deposited its instrument of ratification at a
ceremony at the Office of the Philippine's Permanent Representative to the
United Nations in New York.

Philippine's Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo symbolically handed
over the instrument of ratification to Surin, making the state the eighth member
to have deposited the Charter's instrument of ratification.

Asean members which have deposited the instrument of ratification, in
chronological order, are Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia,
Myanmar, the Philippines and Indonesia.
-- BERNAMA