ASEAN SEC-GEN APPRECIATES DECISION TO POSTPONE 14th SUMMIT

By Mohd Nasir Yusoff

JAKARTA, Dec 4 (Bernama) -- The Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat appreciates Thailand's consideration in postponing the 14th ASEAN Summit after carefully weighing all factors and the concern of ASEAN member states.

ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan said the postponement of the
summit should not distract ASEAN or detract from what ASEAN did for the
well-being, livelihood and welfare of the peoples in the region.

"This was not an easy decision to make and I thank Thailand for weighing
carefully all the factors before deciding to postpone the summit.

"I appreciate very much the consideration Thailand has given to the concern
of the ASEAN member states," he said in a statement here Wednesday.

Surin will explore ways and means of minimising the adverse impact on
ASEAN's works.

He said some initiatives and projects in the pipeline by certain
ministerial
bodies would be given due consideration to proceed without having to wait for
the summit.

Thailand had said it would postpone the 14th ASEAN Summit to a date to be
fixed later after consultation with ASEAN member states.

Following the unrest in Thailand, where demonstrators blocked two airports
and the prime minister's office -- all in Bangkok -- for the past two weeks, the
Thai Government shifted the venue of the Asean summit to Chiang Mai, and later
postponed it to March, next year.