YANGON, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) — Myanmar President U Thein Sein met with Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Le Luang Minh in Nay Pyi Taw Tuesday, two days ahead of the first Myanmar-host ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting ( AMM) Retreat, state media reported Wednesday.
Their meeting focused on preparation for hosting ASEAN meetings in Myanmar, hope of Myanmar to reach regional peace agreements in its tenure of chairmanship, successful holding of the 27th SEA Games in Myanmar and preparation for the establishment of ASEAN Community in 2015, said the New Light of Myanmar.
Senior officials of the ASEAN AMM Retreat are due to meet Thursday in Bagan, Mandalay region which is to be followed by the ministerial meeting Friday.
On Monday, a Senior Economic Officials Meeting (SEOM) of the ASEAN was in place to work out prioritized tasks to be carried out by Myanmar in 2014.
Topics high on the agenda included the emergence of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, coordination and cooperation on economic agreements to be signed in 2014 and economic cooperation with China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, China’s Hong Kong, the United States, Canada, Russia and the European Union (EU).
Taking over from Brunei, Myanmar has started to assume the chair of ASEAN since Jan. 1, 2014.