On 29 June – 2 July 2013, Mr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, will attend the 46th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and related meetings in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. In addition to the AMM, the Post Ministerial Conferences between ASEAN and Dialogue Partners, the 14th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the 3rd East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and the 20th ASEAN Regional Forum will also be convened.

Foreign Minister Surapong will also attend the meetings of sub-regional frameworks, i.e. the Mekong – Japan, Mekong – Republic of Korea, the U.S. – Lower Mekong Initiative, Friends of the Lower Mekong, and Mekong – Ganga forums.

ASEAN Foreign Ministers are expected to review progress in ASEAN Community building and identify priority issues for the years leading up to 2015. Foreign Minister Surapong will focus on enhancing ASEAN cooperation in several key areas, such as disaster management through forging ASEAN cooperation in integrated weather forecasting and increasing the region’s fire-fighting capacity in order to reduce haze pollution; food security by exploring further possibilities to expand ASEAN cooperation in food reserves to include crops other than rice; and combatting drugs by increasing cooperation in the exchange of information and intelligence on drug traffickers in the region. In addition, ASEAN Foreign Ministers will also discuss the future direction of ASEAN after 2015 with a view to maintaining peace and security and further advancing regional economic integration.  

In the ASEAN +1 framework, Thailand, as the country coordinator for ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, will co-chair the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting. On the occasion of the     10th  anniversary of ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership this year, the Meeting will be a good opportunity for ASEAN and China to discuss ways and means to further promote closer relations and expand cooperation.       

ASEAN Foreign Ministers and Mr. Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, will sign instruments relating to Norway’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) on 1 July 2013. Norway will be the 32nd High Contracting Party to the TAC.