Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Thailand postpones ASEAN Summit to late October

May 13, 2009

BANGKOK (Xinhua) - Thailand decided today to postpone the ASEAN Summit from earlier planned mid-June to late October, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya told reporters.

The Thai Foreign Minister's statement was made to reporters after he participated in the weekly cabinet meeting.

The delay was made after it is discovered the ASEAN and dialogue partner countries' leaders will not have the same time to participate in the ASEAN Summit and Related Summits earlier planned mid-June, clarified Kasit.

Kasit also said that the postponement was not due to chaos, which was made by the Thai anti-government protesters during the ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in beach resort Pattaya in April.

The 10th ASEAN Summit, Plus Three, and Six Summit, and Related Summits were initially scheduled to be held on April 10-12 in a hotel in resort town of Pattaya, next to Bangkok, but on April 11 the Thai government announced the postponement of it after the red-shirted or anti-government protesters stormed into the venue.

This year Thailand is the rotating chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN, which consists of Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The other concerned countries include China, Japan, South Korea, India Australia, and New Zealand.

Thailand's government had previously proposed to the other ASEAN leaders and dialogue partner leaders to host the Summits during June 13-14 in Thailand's southern province of Phuket.

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