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Minister Kohout attended EU-ASEAN summit in Madrid

 

Main issues of the 18th Summit of EU-ASEAN (The Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Foreign Ministers were evaluation of present cooperation and building of political partnership between both geo-political organizations. The summit took place in Madrid on May 26. EU and ASEAN commemorate the 30th anniversary of joint cooperation this year. The Czech Republic was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Kohout at the summit.

Jan Kohout - 18. Summit EU-ASEANParticipants of the summit agreed on a joint EU-ASEAN declaration containing main points of cooperation for forthcoming years. The declaration reagrds the EU-ASEAN ministerial summit which took place in Phnom Penh last year. The last year´s summit was led by the Czech Republic as the EU presiding country and agrred on the Action Plan, a key document comprising joint activities of both organizations.

The declaration regards current development in EU, including institutional reform, current development in ASEAN, including situationin Burma/Myanmar, and joint approach of participating countries to security and international issues and energy security. Representatives of ASEAN countries have interested in the process of European integration and sharing experiences. South Asian countries proceed to a deeper integration in recent years. They aim to implement the ASEAN Charter promoting the establishment of an ASEAN community in 2015. Foreign ministers put a special focus on issue of human rights and the ASEAN intergovernmental commission on human rights. Regarding that Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jan Kohout put forward proposal to organize a EU-ASEAN colloquium on human rights. The colloquium is going to take place in Prague next year.

Minister Kohout met Foreign Minister of Cambodia Hor Namhong during the summit. Both ministers discussed issues of bilateral and development cooperation.

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