Thailand is ready to host this Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministerial meeting this week in Phuket smoothly, with tight security measures, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya reaffirmed Wednesday, Thailand News Agency (TNA) reported.

Attending the 15th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, Kasit reassured the nine ASEAN counterparts plus 16 dialogue partners that Thailand is well prepared to host the upcoming ASEAN meeting with intensified security plans to safeguard the ministers and participants. Kasit said that foreign ministers of ASEAN and the partners had already accepted invitation to the upcoming ASEAN meeting.

Thailand will host the 42nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM), the Post Ministerial Conferences (PMC) and the 16th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) beginning Friday and running through next Thursday (July 23).

Touching on North Korea’s participation in the meeting, Kasit briefed the ASEAN foreign ministers, telling them that Thailand sent Panich Vikitsreth, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to North Korea to invite its foreign minister to attend the meeting in Thailand. However, North Korea may send an ambassador-at-large to represent the nation.

Kasit asked for the ASEAN foreign ministers to cooperate in convincing North Korea to send its foreign minister to join the meeting, saying it is a good opportunity for North Korea to exchange views on the current situation, in particular its atomic weapons program.

News by BERNAMA.COM