East Asian Media Forum formed

This is the first time that media delegates from the socalled Asean Plus Three (APT) countries have met to discuss ways to promote awareness and understanding as well as information exchange and training.

The meeting also agreed to set up a 13member core group to followup and serve as a focal point to coordinate various proposals and programs that were discussed at the twoday meeting. The forum was proposed by Thai Foreign Ministry as part of the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Asean Plus Three meeting in Singapore last year. Department of Public Relations hosted the meeting with a series of key lectures, cultural performance and site visits to Ayudhya.

Asean Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan congratulated the meeting yesterday in a telephone interview for the successful establishment of ISMF. "From now on, East Asia media community has to work hard to build East Asian community," he said. Earlier he also gave a key note speech at the forum urging the East Asian media community to promote understanding among the 2.1 billion people who are members of the APT.

Both Foreign Press Center in Japan and the Korean Press Association have agreed to provide assistance in the forms of fellowships and internships. Other ideas that would be proposed to the APT leaders including journalism training for young East Asian journalists and longterm programs for journalist education in key universities in the region.

There are several existing media groups formed bilaterally between countries in Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. But this is the first time under the auspice of APT process.