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Myanmar PM leaves for ASEAN summits in Thailand

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-04-10 13:37

YANGON -- Myanmar Prime Minister General Thein Sein left Nay Pyi Taw Friday for Thailand's Pattaya to attend some summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with other regional countries as well as the United Nations, official sources from the new capital said.

The last 14th ASEAN Summit was held in Hua Hin, Thailand in February-March this year which Thein Sein also attended at the invitation of his Thai counterpart Abhisit Vejjajiva.

The Hua Hin ASEAN summit touched on the implementation of the ASEAN Charter and  regional and international issues, global financial crisis, disaster management, food and energy security, and regional and international situation.

At the summit, the ASEAN heads of government signed the Declaration on Roadmap for ASEAN Community. Other agreements were also inked which are -- ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement, ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement, Protocol to Implement the 7th Package of Commitments under ASEAN Framework Agreement on Service, and three programs for mutual recognition of ASEAN Quality.

Myanmar, which joined the ASEAN along with Laos in July 1997, ratified the ASEAN Charter in July last year.

Myanmar has urged its people to strive together in building the ASEAN community, anticipating that the future emergence of the ASEAN community by 2015 will benefit Myanmar citizens along with other regional members in sharing the fruits of peace and stability, prosperity and socio-cultural development.

ASEAN's three pillars are known as political security community, economic community and socio-culture community.

The ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.