Monday, August 6, 2018

Union Minister for International Cooperation U Kyaw Tin attends the 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Related Ministerial Meetings ASEAN Foreign Ministers welcome the establishment of Independent Commission of Enquiry by the Government of Myanmar





The Myanmar Delegation led by U Kyaw Tin, Union Minister for International Cooperation, arrived back this afternoon after attending the 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and its Related Ministerial Meetings held in Singapore from 1 to 4 August 2018.


While in Singapore, the Union Minister attended Interface Meeting with Representatives of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), Meeting of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Commission and Working Dinner of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers on 1 August 2018.

On 2 August, the Union Minister paid a courtesy call on Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, together with other ASEAN Foreign Ministers. Then, the Union Minister attended the Opening Ceremony of the 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Signing Ceremonies of the Instruments of Accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) by Argentina and Iran, Plenary and Retreat Sessions of the 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and ASEAN Post Ministerial Conferences (PMC) with Japan, Russia, China and New Zealand.

On 3 August, the Union Minister attended ASEAN Post Ministerial Conferences (PMC) with India, Canada, Republic of Korea, European Union, Australia and the United States. At the ASEAN-Australia Ministerial Meeting, the Union Minister co-chaired the Meeting with Ms. Julie Bishop, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, and handed over the Country Coordinatorship to Malaysia at the end of the Meeting. Also at the ASEAN-Canada Ministerial Meeting, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines handed over the Country Coordinatorship to the Union Minister. Myanmar will serve as the Country Coordinator for ASEAN-Canada Dialogue Relations from August 2018 to August 2021. In the evening, the Union Minister attended the Gala Dinner hosted by the Foreign Minister of Singapore.

On 4 August, the Union Minister attended the 19th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the 8th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and Retreat and Plenary Sessions of the 25th ASEAN Regional Forum.

The Union Minister also attended the 9th Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Ministerial Meeting, the 8th Mekong-Republic of Korea Ministerial Meeting, the 11th Lower Mekong Initiatives (LMI) Ministerial Meeting and the 11th Mekong-Japan Ministerial Meeting. At the 8th Mekong-Republic of Korea Ministerial Meeting, the Union Minister co-chaired the Meeting with Ms. Kang Kyung-wha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea.

While in Singapore, the Union Minister had bilateral meetings with Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Timor Leste, Australia, the United States of America, and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as well as Deputy Foreign Minister of Switzerland. During the bilateral meetings, the Union Minister discussed issues of mutual interests and promotion of bilateral relations.

At the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat Session, the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum, Union Minister U Kyaw Tin updated the Meetings in an informal setting on the recent developments in Rakhine State.

In his briefing, the Union Minister highlighted, among others, the complexity of the issue of Rakhine State, ARSA terrorist group’s unprovoked attacks that had ignited the humanitarian crisis, progresses achieved in implementing the recommendations of the Advisory Commission and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between Myanmar, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Myanmar’s efforts and arrangements to commence repatriation of the displaced persons including through implementation of the bilateral agreements as well as establishment of the Independent Commission of Enquiry by the Government of Myanmar, as part of its national initiative to address reconciliation, peace, stability and development in Rakhine.

At the end of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the Joint Communiqué of the 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was issued in which the Foreign Ministers expressed their continued support for Myanmar’s humanitarian relief programme in Rakhine State and welcomed the ongoing efforts of Technical Working Group (TWG) for the adoption of the Work Plan to implement the MOU. In the Joint Communiqué, the Foreign Ministers also noted the progress made by the Government of Myanmar in implementing the recommendations of the final report of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State and welcomed the establishment of an Independent Commission of Enquiry. They also expressed their continued support for Myanmar’s efforts to bring peace, stability, the rule of law, to promote harmony and reconciliation among the various communities, as well as to ensure sustainable and equitable development in Rakhine State.

Myanmar News Agency

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar

No comments:

Post a Comment