ASEAN Summit meetings slated in Cebu next week

CEBU, Philippines - Finance and central bank meetings of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) will start next week in Cebu.

The following events will be held in Cebu starting April 3 until 7: Official Monetary & Financial Institutions Forum (OMFIF); ASEAN Finance Deputies Meeting; 25th ASEAN Central Bank Deputies’ Meeting (AFCDMI); 3rd ASEAN Finance & Central Bank Deputies’ Joint Meeting; and 12th ASEAN Finance Ministers’ Investor Seminar.

Also to be held in Cebu are the:  ASEAN + 3 Finance and Central Bank Deputies’ Formal Meeting; ASEAN + 3 Finance and Central Bank Deputies Informal Meeting; ASEAN + 3 Finance and Central Bank Deputies’ Formal Meeting; and ASEAN Finance Ministers’ Retreat.

Furthermore, the ASEAN Central Bank Governors’ and Financial Institution CEOs Dialogue, 21st ASEAN Finance Ministers’ Meeting, 13th ASEAN Central Bank Governors’ Meeting, and 3rd ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Joint Meeting will also be held in Cebu next week.

On April 5-7, the 1st ASEAN Defense Senior Officials' Meeting and ADSOM-Plus Meetings will be likewise be done in Cebu.

On April 18-22, Bohol will also host the 10th Meeting of the AHKFTA (Free Trade Agreement between ASEAN and Hong Kong) Trade Negotiating Committee and Related Meetings.

More than 200 delegates are expected in the province in the April 18-22 meetings.

Over 120 ministerial, senior official and technical working group meetings in addition to the two major summits will be held in the country, including Bohol from April to November.

The ASEAN Summit will officially open in Manila in April and another summit will culminate in November in Clark, Pampanga.

Meetings in Bohol will discuss trade and economic concerns.

Cebu and Bohol had been picked as among the provinces to host some of ASEAN's ministers meetings.

The ASEAN Summit 2017 coincides with the 10-nation bloc's 50th anniversary.

Under Article 31 of the ASEAN Charter, "the chairmanship of ASEAN shall rotate annually, based on the alphabetical order of the English names of member states."

ASEAN is a regional organization comprising 10 Southeast Asian states which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic integration amongst its members. Since its formation on August 8, 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, the organization's membership has expanded to include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. (FREEMAN)