PM NAJIB LEADS MALAYSIAN DELEGATION TO 15TH ASEAN SUMMIT

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak
is leading the Malaysian delegation to the three-day 15th Asean Summit in Cha-am
Hua Hin, Thailand, starting Friday.

He will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, Information
Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim, International Trade
and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed and senior ministry officials.

A Foreign Ministry statement here says that Najib is also scheduled to have
bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Asean member states and the
dialogue partners in Cha-am Hua Hin.

During the summit, themed "Enhancing Connectivity, Empowering Peoples", the
leaders will be exchanging views on regional and international issues of common
concern to Asean, such as Asean connectivity, global economic and financial
crisis, food security, disaster management and other issues.

Malaysia views the Asean summit and related summits as important fora in
pursuing and achieving the various goals, to ensure that Asean remains relevant
in face of current and future challenges, the statement says.

It is also an opportunity to take stock and review the status of cooperation
with its dialogue partners with a view to deepening and strengthening the
existing relations.

The summit will be held at the Dusit Thani Hotel, Hua Hin, Friday, followed
by a retreat tomorrow before the Asean Plus 1 summits with China, Japan,
Republic of Korea (ROK) and India as well as the 12th Asean Plus Three Summit.

The 4th East Asia Summit involving Australia, China, India, Japan, New
Zealand and South Korea and the 6th Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines
East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) will be held on Sunday.

The Asean leaders will also inaugurate the launch of the Asean
Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) to promote and protect
human rights in the region.

They are expected to adopt four documents, namely, the Cha-am Hua Hin
Declaration on the Inauguration of the ASEAN Intergovermental Commission on
Human Rights, Cha-am Hua Hin Declaration on Strengthening Cooperation on
Education to Achieve an Asean Caring and Sharing Community, Asean Declaration on
Climate Change and Asean Leaders’ Statement on Asean Connectivity.

They will also issue four other documents with their Dialogue Partners
namely, the Cha-am Hua Hin Statement on Asean Plus Three Cooperation on Food
Security and Bio-Energy Development, Cha-am Hua Hin Statement on East Asia
Summit Disaster Management, Joint Press Release of the 4th East Asia Summit on
the Revival of Nalanda University and Statement to Celebrate the Completion and
Entry into Force of the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA).

In addition, the Asean foreign ministers will sign the Agreement on
Privileges and Immunities of Asean and Memorandum of Understanding on
Establishing the Asean-China Centre.

The Asean economic ministers will sign the Memorandum of Understanding
between Asean and China on Cooperation in the Field of Intellectual Property and
Memorandum of Understanding between Asean and China on Strengthening Cooperation
in the Field of Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment.

At the sidelines of the summit, the Asean leaders will also have informal
meetings with representatives from the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, Youth
and Civil Society Organisations to enhance dialogue and public participation in
line with the efforts to transform Asean into a people-oriented organisation.

-- BERNAMA