ASEAN founder Thanat Khoman passes away

BANGKOK, March 4 (TNA) -- Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai is sorrowful with the demise of Thanat Khoman who pushed for the establishment of ASEAN. Mr Don expressed his great sorrow for the death of Col Thanat, former Thai foreign minister, who pushed for the establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Mr Sek Wannamethee, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Mr Don acknowledged the demise of Col Thanat with profound sorrow as Col Thanat was a really important person of Thailand's foreign affairs. In his roles as the foreign minister between 1959 and 1971, Col Thanat had implemented foreign affair policies sophisticatedly and demonstrated visions and determination to protect the national interest, Mr Sek said. "He built walls to cope with threats and conflicts from political ideologies during the Cold War by pushing for the foundation of ASEAN, promoting cooperation with countries in and outside the region, and building strong fundamentals for the security of Thailand and the region with important international obligations. These have been highly valuable since the Cold War. The minister of foreign affairs expresses his deep sorrow to the family of Col Thanat Khoman and regards his contribution to Thailand with great respect," said the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (TNA)