Myanmar makes full preparation to host ASEAN meetings

YANGON (Xinhua) - Myanmar is making full preparation to host various meetings during its one-year term as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

These meetings in Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan totaled more than 300, including summits, ministerial meetings and senior officials meetings, according to official sources.

Plans have been drawn to host the first regional summit attended by more than 15,000 representatives from home and abroad.

The country has also prepared accommodation, security, transportation and information for the regional meetings.

The State Guest House will offer 1,848 rooms with a capacity of some 3,000 guests, and 77 hotels in Nay Pyi Taw can offer 4,000 rooms.

To show its readiness, Myanmar opened the Myanmar International Convention Center (MICC), the venue for the regional summits and other meetings, in the new capital on Saturday.

As ASEAN chair, Myanmar will take a leading role in implementing priorities of the ASEAN roadmap as part of it efforts to establish the ASEAN Community.

It will also have to lay down the ASEAN Vision for beyond 2015.

According to schedule, Myanmar will first host the 62nd ASEAN Coordination Committee on Investment in Nay Pyi Taw next weekend.

Dozens of investment officers from ASEAN member nations and host Myanmar will discuss at the two-day meeting on Jan. 10-11 matters related to amending the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Treaty, amendment of unpermitted accounts included in the treaty and ongoing work programs in implementing the treaty.

The committee is tasked with promoting investment in the region, smoothing and relaxing rules and regulation and encouraging further flow of investment from regional countries.

The committee is also a leading supervisory body for the implementation of investment commitment and cooperation among ASEAN and dialogue partner countries.

The committee meeting will be followed by the first Myanmar- host ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) Retreat on Jan. 15-18 in Bagan, Mandalay region.

Taking over from Brunei, Myanmar started to assume the chairmanship of the bloc on Jan. 1, 2014.

ASEAN adopted its Vision-2020 in 1997 and is striving for establishing ASEAN Community in 2015. ASEAN is playing a leading role not only for regional integration but also for East Asia Summit, ASEAN+3 Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum and ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting.

Myanmar became an ASEAN member in 1997.

ASEAN comprises Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

source: PhilStar

http://www.philstar.com/world/2014/01/05/1275416/myanmar-makes-full-preparation-host-asean-meetings