BANGKOK, Nov 7 — The leaders capital cities in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have pledged to further strengthen their cooperation in various fields including security, economic affairs, social and culture.
The pledge was made Thursday at the end of a two-day second meeting of governors/mayors of ASEAN capitals.
The ‘Bangkok Declaration’ was signed during a ceremony presided over by Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra.
ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General AKP Mocthan also attended the meeting.
Mr Sukhumbhand told journalists later that participants discussed three major issues in line with ASEAN’s key principles during the meeting.
They included politics and security, economic affairs, and social and culture.
The ‘Bangkok Declaration’ covers several kinds of cooperation for ASEAN cities including public safety, migration, transportation, tourism, building potential and developing human resources, education, cultural exchange, and social community, he said.
Initially, Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, will lead education, public safety and city planning while Bangkok will be responsible for disaster management issues and the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur takes on tourism, said Mr Sukhumbhand.
Kuala Lumpur will host the third meeting of governors/mayors of ASEAN capitals in 2015 as Malaysia will also head the grouping as it enters the ASEAN Community.
