MYANMAR will spend more than K30 billion on the 300-500 international meetings it expects to host over the coming year as the chair of ASEAN, the government says. U Aung Htoo, deputy director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ ASEAN Affairs Department, said the first would be the ministerial retreat, scheduled for January 15-18 at Bagan.
“That meeting of ASEAN ministers will discuss the follow-up to the results of the Brunei summit,” he said. Other meetings will include the ASEAN summit, and gatherings at the ministerial and deputy ministerial levels, and working group sessions at Nay Pyi Taw, Mandalay, Taunggyi, Bagan, Pyin Oo Lwin and Chaungtha.
The K33.4 billion (US$34.1 million) budget will also cover the preparation of the necessary guesthouse and meeting rooms, he added.
Myanmar will host the 47th ASEAN foreign affairs meeting and three major summits, including working group meetings on Timor-Leste and the six-party talks on the North Korean peace process.
