Published on November 14, 2005

Former Foreign Minister MR Kasemsamosorn Kasemsri was named to join nine other in Asean’s Eminent Persons Group (EPG) to draft the charter of the 10-member grouping, sources said.

Asean will declare its political will to create the charter and establish the EPG to draft the charter during its leaders’ summit in Kuala Lumpur next month. Asean began with the Bangkok Declaration in 1967 before the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in 1976 tied the bonds between members and allies. The charter intends to steer the body into establishing an Asean Community by 2020. The community will be founded on three pillars: the Asean Security Community, the Asean Economic Community and the Asean Socio-Cultural Community.

The charter is a document that outlines Asean’s principles, functions and organisational structure.

Kasem, who served as a minister between May 1995 and May 1996, will join the EPG with colleagues from other member countries, many well-known leaders and diplomats.

Also in the Asean’s EPG are Lim Jock Seng, Brunei’s vice minister of foreign affairs and trade; Ali Alatas, former Indonesian foreign minister; Fidel Ramos, former Philippine president; S Jayakumar, former Singapore foreign minister; and Nguyen Manh Cam, former Vietnamese foreign minister.

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