New Foreign Minister Sompong Amornwiwat has his work cut out today when he chairs an informal meeting of Asean ministers here to discuss restructuring the regional grouping and preparing for the summit later this year.
The ministers arrived in New York on Saturday for the United Nations General Meeting but their task at the UN will be confined to delivering a speech this afternoon.
The foreign minister's speech would basically dwell on the global food and fuel crisis as well as the UN Millennium Goal, said R Don Pramudwinai, Representative to the UN.
The political turmoil at home would not be mentioned during the speech as well as in other formal meetings, he said.
Sompong, who has no experience in foreign affairs, took office only a few days before the UN meeting. As the chairman of Asean, he will be presiding over the informal meeting of the regional grouping on the sidelines of the UN summit.
Key issues in the 180-minute meeting of Asean foreign ministers would focus on the coming Asean summit due in December and the group's restructuring.
Asean needs to be restructured as the new charter would change the 40-year-old regional grouping from an ad-hoc body to a rule-based international organisation.
The charter will enhance the role of secretary-general. Former Thai foreign minister Surin Pitsuwan is the current secretary-general. Thailand's legal instrument for ratification was passed by the Senate a couple of weeks ago. The charter would also give birth to the Asean human rights body. The terms of reference for its establishment have not been finished yet.
Thailand and Cambodia would brief the Asean meeting on their border problem that has seen both countries lock horns for months.
The two neighbours have clashed over the areas near the Hindu temples of Preah Vihear, Ta Muen Thom and Ta Kwai (Ta Krabey). Foreign ministers from both sides held two meetings to settle the dispute but Sompong will need to follow up as many issues remain unresolved.
The border problem with Cambodia might not be discussed bilaterally here as his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong is not attending the UN meeting. His deputy Kao Kim Hourn will lead the Cambodian delegation to the UN and Asean meetings.
Besides the Asean informal meeting, Sompong would lead the other nine ministers of the grouping to meet UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to discuss Asean-UN relations as well as the Asean-UN summit due back-to-back with the Asean summit in Bangkok.
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