Cambodia PM heads to Indonesia for ASEAN Summit

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, accompanied by a group of high ranking officials, left Cambodia on Wednesday for the ASEAN Summit and related Summits between ASEAN and dialogue partners held from Nov. 17 to 19 in Indonesia's Bali. Srey Thamrong, a minister attached to the Prime Minister Hun Sen, told reporters at Phnom Penh International Airport before departing for Bali that the ASEAN Summit and related Summits include the 19th ASEAN Summit, ASEAN-China Commemorative Summit, 14th ASEAN-Japan Summit, 14th ASEAN-South Korea Summit, 4th ASEAN- United Nations Summit, 9th ASEAN-India Summit, 3rd ASEAN-United States Leaders' meeting, 6th East Asia Summit, Mekong-Japan Summit and 14th ASEAN Plus Three Summit. At the end of the 19th ASEAN Summit, there would be a joint statement signed by the leaders of the governments of ASEAN countries on ASEAN Community in the Global Community of Nations. Srey Thamrong said that during the summits, participants would discuss ways to responding to natural disasters and to rescue victims during the period of disasters. Also, Cambodia will officially accept the role as the 2012 ASEAN's chair on Nov. 19 and Prime Minister Hun Sen will deliver an acceptance speech at that time, he added. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.