DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
P R E S S  R E L E A S E
www.dfa.gov.ph                                                 2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Philippines                                               Tel. No. 834-4000 

SFA-AGR-478-05                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      11 July 2005

38TH ASEAN MINISTERIAL MEETING (AMM) TO BE HELD IN LAOS ON 26 JULY 2005 WITH ASEAN CHARTER IN THE AGENDA

11 July 2005 – The Department of Foreign Affairs announced that Laos, the current Chair of the ASEAN Standing Committee, will host the 38th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Vientiane, Laos, on 26 July 2005, to be attended by Foreign Ministers of the ten ASEAN member countries to discuss initiatives to further strengthen regional cooperation and hasten regional integration including the Philippine initiative for an ASEAN Charter.

Assistant Secretary Susan Castrence of the Office of ASEAN Affairs – DFA explained that the AMM is an annual meeting prior to the Summit, and is held at the capital of the current Chair of the ASEAN Standing Committee.  The AMM is the highest policy-making body of ASEAN in-between Summits.

Assistant Secretary Castrence said the ASEAN Foreign Ministers at the 38th AMM will discuss the Vientiane Action Program (VAP), the blueprint of ASEAN activities for until 2010.  The VAP with the Hanoi Plan of Action and succeeding Plans of Action will serve as building blocks for the establishment of the ASEAN Community.  The VAP covers programs to implement the three action plans of the three pillars of the ASEAN Community, namely the ASEAN Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community, and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.  At the AMM, the Ministers will be briefed on the progress and implementation of the Plans of Action and the VAP.

The Ministers will also discuss the modalities of the first East Asia Summit to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and the ASEAN Charter, originally proposed by the Philippines over three decades ago, Assistant Secretary Castrence added.

The Ministers will likewise adopt the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response, and the ASEAN Development Fund – the source of funding to carry out the VAP.

At the AMM, Malaysia will also be elected as Chair of the 39th Standing Committee, with Myanmar as Vice-Chair.  In December 2005, Malaysia will host the 11th ASEAN Summit, as well as the 39th AMM, the Post-Ministerial Meeting, and the 13th ASEAN Regional Forum in 2006.  END

 
/jay