Arroyo to leave for Asean summit in Thailand Friday

Published October 22, 2009 10:48am

Amid government preparations for the coming of typhoon "Ramil" (Lupit), President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will leave for abroad Friday, this time for the 15th Asean (Association of Southeast Asian) summit in Thailand. President Arroyo will attend the summit and related activities at the seaside resorts of Cha-am and Hua Hin in Thailand from Oct. 23 to 25. She will fly back to Manila on Sunday, October 25, deputy presidential spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo said. A MalacaÃ±ang statement quoted Fajardo as saying that Mrs. Arroyo will join her Asean counterparts in announcing the establishment of an Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). The 10 countries that make up AICHR will appoint a commissioner each to serve for three years, Fajardo said. An issue that would be discussed at the gathering is the recommendation to establish a free trade agreement between South East Asia and East Asia. Asean member countries include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Palace said the Asean leaders will likewise meet with the six dialogue partners: China, India, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea. While at the gathering, President Arroyo and the other Asean leaders are also expected to sign the Cha-am-Hua Hin Declaration on strengthening Cooperation on Education to Achieve an Asean Caring and Sharing Community, the Asean Declaration on Climate Change, to reaffirm Asean position on the negotiations under the United Nations Frameworks Convention on Climate Change. Asean Foreign Ministers will also sign The Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of Asean. Apart from the 15th Asean Summit, related meetings at the summit level include the 12th Asean-China Summit, the 12th Asean-Japan Summit, the 12th Asean -Republic of Korea Summit, the 7th Asean-India Summit, the 12th Asean Plus Three Summit (with China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea), and the 4th East Asia Summit (with China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand). Arroyo overseas trips In mid-September President Arroyo led a 58-member delegation for a three-country trip to Turkey, United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. Arroyo has been criticized for her frequent trips abroad, which from August 2001 to September 2009, has already hit over a hundred times.