Thai FM: Concrete response of acceptance from leaders to join ASEAN Summits expected Tuesday

BANGKOK, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya disclosed Monday it is expected Tuesday, May 12, that there will be a concrete response regarding acceptance to participate in the ASEAN Plus Three and Related Summits among leaders and ministers from concerned countries.
Earlier, there was a positive signal from the leaders of the 15 involved countries that they would join the Summits. However, Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh might not be able to join the Summits as his country was in the election period.

The 14th ASEAN Summit, Plus Three, and Six Summit, and Related Summits were initially scheduled to be held on April 10-12 in a hotel in the Thai resort town of Pattaya, next to Bangkok, but on April 11 the Thai government announced the postponement of it after the Thai anti-government red-shirted protestors stormed into the venue.

This year Thailand is the rotating chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN, which consists of Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The other concerned countries include China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand.

Thailand's government has proposed to the other ASEAN leaders and dialogue partner leaders to host the ASEAN Summits during June13-14 in Thailand's southern province of Phuket.