The ASEAN leaders have not confirmed their participation of the proposed meeting in Phuket in mid-June. – The timing for the summits has not been finalized yet, said Suthep Thaugsuban, Thai Deputy Prime Minister on Tuesday.
Khun Suthep said Thailand is fully ready to host the ASEAN Summit and Related Summits from June 13-14 in Phuket. He also confirmed that the Thai government would enforce the Internal Security Law to ensure security during the ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.
Several nations have voiced accepted invitations to join renewed ASEAN +3 and +6 summits set to take place in Phuket this coming June, but have asked that the schedule remains flexible to accommodate the shifting itineraries of their leaders, according to Thai News Service..
An uncertainty still hangs over the participation of many foreign leaders, according to Singapore’s Strait Times.
It seems Thailand is more intent on restoring its own image
Officials and diplomats have been making trips to Phuket to sort out logistics and other issues, but as of yesterday apart from the host, none of the 15 countries had confirmed that its leaders would attend.
“A lot of countries are quietly wondering why there should be a summit in June when there is another scheduled for October. It seems Thailand is more intent on restoring its own image,” one diplomat said to the newspaper, requesting anonymity.
Another diplomat who also did not want to be named, echoed the view, saying:
“Nobody seems very comfortable. Everyone would be much happier if the two summits were rolled together in October.”
This year Thailand is the rotating chairman of the ASEAN, which consists of Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Philippines,Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
ASEAN’s dialogue partners are China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand.
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