AMBASSADOR Elizabeth P. Buensuceso, the Philippines’s Asean Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) leader, led the country’s delegation to a series of meetings to prepare for next month’s 37th Asean Summit and Related Summits.
Buensuceso said that senior officials from all Asean member-states discussed preparations for next month’s Leaders’ meetings, including those related to regional community building efforts, pandemic recovery initiatives, regional and international issues, as well as Timor-Leste’s membership application to the bloc during the Asean SOM, Asean Joint Consultative Meeting (JCM), and the meeting of the Asean Coordinating Council Working Group on Timor-Leste.
“The Philippines congratulated Vietnam for pushing Asean deliverables this year, despite [challenges brought by the coronavirus disease 2019] Covid-19,” the Philippine ambassador said. “We also supported key Asean efforts, such as the establishment of the Covid-19 Asean Response Fund, and an Asean Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies for Public Health Emergencies.”
She added that “looking forward, we discussed the development of a post-Asean Community Vision 2025 and various initiatives with Asean’s dialogue partners.”
At the SOM, pending applications to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, or the TAC, were also tackled.
On the region’s pandemic response, the Asean Secretariat briefed the meeting on the progress of initiatives by the Asean Coordinating Council Working Group on Public Health Emergencies, or ACCWG-PHE, particularly on the Covid-19 Asean Response Fund to facilitate the channeling of financial resources, including those from external partners.
At the JCM attended by Asean SOM leaders and representatives from the Asean Economic Officials’ Meeting, Senior Officials’ Committee for the Asean Socio-Cultural Community Council and the Committee of Permanent Representatives to Asean, the meeting discussed the bloc’s 2020 priorities in community building efforts, the strengthening of regional identity, and the streamlining of Asean-led mechanisms.
Regarding the application for Asean membership of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, or East Timor, the meeting discussed progress reports and ongoing assessment programs to determine the said country’s readiness to join Asean.
Asean member-states also agreed on Timor-Leste’s continued participation in various capacity building activities, including its attendance in selected Asean meetings.
Buensuceso emphasized that the Philippines supports capacity building initiatives for Timor-Leste and proposed training programs for the latter’s diplomats and other government officials on Asean diplomacy, conference management and the English language. DFA