Asean to ponder providing peacekeeping forces

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya told reporters after a bilateral consultation with Asean Secretary General Saturday that Asean and the UN should cooperate in the field of peace-keeping. He said Malaysia also has a vast experience in peacekeeping. The third Asean-UN will be held back to back to the summit.

UN-sponsored training is one of the several transnational issues that Kasit and Surin discussed. Other issues including the labor migration, Asean's role in the humanitarian relief and disaster management, reviews of free trade agreements signed by Asean. He said that Thailand will work closely with the Jakarta-based Secretariat on all issues and at all levels. At the upcoming session in the Parliament remaining Asean-related documents would be approved including the free trade agreement with India, Australia and New Zealand and the Asean-China free trade agreement on services.