The full ratification of the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) Charter by December this year is on track, according to the Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariaton Wednesday.
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Surin Pitsuwan, expressed his pleasure at the news that the Philippine Senate has ratified the ASEAN Charter, a press release issued by the ASEAN Secretariat said.
Dr Surin said, "This is especially significant as it was the Philippines who first proposed that ASEAN has a Charter. We now have just one more Member State - Indonesia - to go before the Charter is fully ratified and I am very optimistic that we will get full ratification by the 14th ASEAN Summit in December."
"In fact, I am fervently anticipating that we will be able to celebrate the entry into force of the ASEAN Charter at the Summit," he said.
The ASEAN Charter signed in November last year by ASEAN leaders should be ratified before the next ASEAN summit in December in Bangkok. Meanwhile, Indonesia is reportedly to ratify the historic ASEAN Charter in the near future as the House of Representatives will sign the draft of the law on the charter ratification on Wednesday. The draft will be brought in the next plenary session scheduled for October 24 for official ratification.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Source: Xinhua
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