Published on page 22 of the 29 June 2004 edition of the Star newspaper. Taken from here.

More offers to host East Asia summit
BY SIM LEOI LEOI

JAKARTA: More countries besides Malaysia have put in offers to host the East Asia Summit.

Among these are China, South Korea and Thailand.

Thailand, it is understood, has tabled a concept paper for such a summit, which will be discussed at the 37th Asean Ministerial Meeting (AMM) informal retreat tomorrow.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had called for the summit to discuss international security co-operation in socio-economic matters during his trip to Beijing last month.

The idea is the brainchild of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Department spokesman Dr Marty Nataleqawa admitted that the fact that so many countries wanted to host the event reflected ?healthy interest? in the development of an East Asian community.

?But I cannot confirm the time and date. It is on the AMM agenda for discussion but as yet no decision has been made,? he said, adding that Indonesia, the current Asean chairman, was not too keen on the idea of a summit.

Asean secretary-general Ong Keng Yong had said last week that the summit could be convened as early as next year, adding that the body had had two offers ? one from an Asean country while the other was from China.

Indonesian delegation leader Makarim Wibisono, who revealed the interest from these countries on the sidelines of the Asean Standing Committee meeting yesterday, said these proposals were from ?individual countries.?

Other countries opposing the summit were Singapore, the Philippines and Japan.

The Asean Plus Three process, which begins on Thursday, groups the regional body with China, South Korea and Japan.

Makarim also said that the recently concluded Senior Officials Meeting was also agreeable to bringing up the possibility of an Asean-Russia Summit.

  

Posted on June 29th, 2004 by jl
Filed under: Regionalisation