BANGKOK, April 24 — Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra leaves Bangkok today for Brunei to attend the 22nd ASEAN Summit in Bandar Seri Begawan April 24-25.
The 22nd ASEAN Summit is hosted by Brunei, the current ASEAN chair, under the theme “Our People, Our Future” to reflect the significance of the people themselves in mobilising ASEAN and determining the region’s future.
According to the government website, the ASEAN leaders will follow up establishment of the ASEAN Community and related progress based on the resolutions made during the past meetings.
For Thailand, Ms Yingluck will follow up earlier Thai proposals such as the drug-free ASEAN operations plan, anti human trafficking operations plan, disaster management, resource mobilisation for ASEAN connectivity, and the promotion of public participation in the ASEAN Community.
The Thai PM will also reveal Thailand’s standpoint and vision regarding the future direction of ASEAN, particularly on how to maintain a good economic environment, and to make ASEAN a key mobiliser of various regional cooperation frameworks.
Ms Yingluck and other ASEAN leaders will follow up progress in ASEAN Community Building to be realised in 2015 comprising three main pillars, the Economic Pillar, the Political-Security Pillar and the Socio-Cultural Pillar.
On this occasion, the Thai premier will propose the connectivity of the Three Pillars through cultural activities and tourism to promote public interaction.
Ms Yingluck will also attend the 7th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) meeting where the plan for connectivity between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand will be pushed forward through construction of more motorways and sea ports, the establishment of a special economic zone and product distribution centre, and the standardization of various products, as well as customs and related border crossing processes
