November 15, 2011
ASEAN foreign ministers begin preparatory meetings for Bali summit
BALI: ASEAN foreign ministers have arrived in the Indonesian island of Bali for preparatory meetings ahead of the ASEAN Leaders Summit beginning on Thursday.
Over the next two days, the ministers will finalise various documents, which are to be presented to their leaders for adoption and endorsement.
They include plans to set up an ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Management, and the ASEAN Declaration on Unity in Diversity towards strengthening the ASEAN community.
The ministers will also further engage the dialogue partners to be more involved in the ASEAN connectivity masterplan project, which aims to link the 10-member grouping through road, rail and air projects, also technologically, and through people-to-people connections.
Security preparations got underway in Bali on Monday with commando forces conducting rehearsals at the Bali Convention Centre at Nusa Dua where the week-long summit is taking place.
Among the world leaders expected are US President Barrack Obama, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
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