At the first East Asia Summit next Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, Russian President Vladimir Putin will address the meeting. However, Russia will not participate in talks at the gathering as it has been refused membership in EAS despite strong lobbying by Thai-land, Singapore and Indonesia, said Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon.

Asean-South Korea FTA minus Thailand

Thailand will not sign the Asean free-trade agreement with South Korea during the Asean Summit until Seoul agrees to include rice on the tax-reduction list, the commerce minister said yesterday.

Asean hopes Burma can show some concrete changes

Asean foreign ministers feel Burma, as a fellow Asean member, must show some developments on the roadmap to democracy if they are to defend the isolated state, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said yesterday ahead of the next week’s Asean Summit.