ASEAN Foreign Ministers Discuss Security In Indonesia

Posted November 16th, 2011 at 5:55 am (UTC-5)
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Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations focused on regional security issues at their meeting in Indonesia Wednesday.

Discussions included the establishment of the ASEAN Institute of Peace and Reconciliation, the Implementation of the declaration on the conduct of parties in the South China Sea and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

China, Taiwan and four ASEAN members — the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam — have overlapping claims to portions of the South China Sea.

Apart from the foreign ministers' talks, several sideline meetings on economics and culture were taking place Wednesday.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told a business meeting his country expects rapid economic growth this year.

The ASEAN meeting brings together the 10 member nations of Burma, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The leaders of Japan, China, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand will join them later in the week for what is known as the East Asia Summit. This year, it will be expanded to include U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.