12th ASEAN Summit Postponed

With tears in eyes, a sorrowful, helpless Cebu Province Governor Gwendolyn Garcia Friday afternoon explained why the planned 12th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), originally scheduled for Dec. 10-14, has been postponed.

The summit has been postponed to January 2007, the Philippine National Organizing Committee for the summit announced here earlier Friday.

"After serious consideration of the possible effects of the projected incoming weather disturbance, the ASEAN-Philippines National Organizing Committee, in consultation with the national and local agencies involved, has decided to move the dates of the Cebu Summits," the announcement said.

"This decision was made in full consideration of the safety and welfare of the participants, the private individuals and groups involved in the different aspects of holding this important event, and the officials who are carrying out the preparations. This will also allow the government to give its undivided attention to any effects this major weather disturbance may have on the parts of the Philippines it passes through," it said.

Marcinor Paynor, secretary general of the organizing committee, read out the announcement at a news conference.

Earlier, the Philippine weather bureau has warned about a strong typhoon that may spoil the summit.

The tropical depression, locally named Seniang, was about 1,000 kilometers east of Leyte island and was forecast to make landfall Saturday, before moving toward Cebu on Sunday, according to the Philippine weather bureau.

Heads of state and government from the 10 ASEAN member countries will hold the grouping's 12th summit here. They will also discuss vital regional and international issues with their counterparts from six ASEAN dialogue partners during the same period.

The Philippines is still recovering from typhoon-triggered rains and mudslides that left more than 1,000 people dead or missing.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Seniang was packing sustained winds of up to 55 kilometers per hour Thursday and moving west at 19 kph.

Cebu is hosting the ASEAN Summit for the first time since the regional group was formed 39 years ago.

However, the announcement said the ASEAN ministerial meetings will proceed here as scheduled.

The Senior Officials Meetings of ASEAN and its six dialogue partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand, already opened here Thursday.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Source: Xinhua