RP ready to chair Asean in 2006 — Romulo

Despite the political crisis, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo will attend the 38th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Vientiane, Laos on July 26.

The Philippines is expected to announce that it is prepared to take over the chairmanship of the regional grouping if Myanmar inhibits itself from chairing the summit in 2006.

Foreign ministers of the 10 ASEAN member countries will discuss initiatives to further strengthen regional cooperation and hasten regional integration, including the Philippine initiative for an ASEAN Charter.

The Philippines will take over the ASEAN chairmanship on the basis of alphabetical rotation if Myanmar, which is supposed to chair the regional grouping next year, fails to implement democratic reforms.

A diplomatic source said the Philippines is making preparations to host the ASEAN meetings middle of next year.

"If by consensus there will be changes then we are prepared to consider," the source said.

The foreign ministers will also discuss the Vientiane Action Program (VAP), and the blueprint of ASEAN activities until 2010.

The VAP, with the Hanoi Plan of Action and succeeding Plans of Action, will serve as the building block for the establishment of the ASEAN Community.

The VAP also covers programs to implement the three action plans of the three pillars of the ASEAN Community — the ASEAN Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community, and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.

At the AMM, the ministers will be briefed on the progress and implementation of the Plans of Action and the VAP.

The foreign ministers will also discuss modalities of the first East Asia Summit to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the ASEAN Charter, originally proposed by the Philippines over three decades ago.

They will adopt the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response, and the ASEAN Development Fund, which will be the source of funding to carry out the VAP. — Pia Lee-Brago