At the event (Photo: VOV) Hanoi (VNA) – The ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM ASEAN) took place in ChiangMai, Thailand, on January 16-17.
The meeting wasdesigned to review preparations for the two-day ASEAN Foreign Ministers'Retreat (AMM Retreat), which began on January 17.
At the event, officialsreviewed the association’s activities with partners this year, including theorganisation of a commemorative summit between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea (RoK),which is scheduled to take place in the RoK in late 2019.
They agreed tomaintain ASEAN’s central role, while ensuring the bloc’s regulations andprocedures in relations with its partners.
The officialsalso discussed the constructions of a code of conduct for recently-proposedregional cooperative strategies and initiatives.
Thailand takesover the ASEAN Chair this year with the theme “Advancing Partnership forSustainability”, and the AMM Retreat in Chiang Mai is the first scheduledmeeting for the ASEAN member countries.
The foreign ministers are set to discuss issues which includeinitiatives to move the ASEAN Community agenda forward. They will also exchangeviews on regional and international issues of common concern as well as discussthe means to enhance ASEAN relations with its dialogue partners.
The ASEANforeign ministers are set to attend a working dinner on January 17.-VNA
