19 December
Union Minister for International Cooperation, U Kyaw Tin, arrived back Yangon today after attending the 14th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Madrid, Spain from 15 to 16 December 2019. The Meeting was inaugurated by His Majesty King Felipe VI, the King of Spain and attended by Ministerial delegations from 51 members of ASEM and representatives from the European Union and the ASEAN Secretariat.
On 15 December 2019, the Union Minister attended the official welcome dinner hosted by the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain.
The Union Minister delivered a statement at the Plenary Session of the ASEM 14th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held on 16 December 2019 under the theme “Revitalizing the multilateral system-advancing the ASEM partnership on global issues”. In his statement, the Union Minister highlighted the vital role of ASEM in promoting the relations between Asia and Europe at the time of rapid global change, the role of multilateralism in finding solutions to the global challenges including climate change and the national efforts of Myanmar for adaptation and mitigation of the effects of climate change. He also stressed the need to strengthen the effectiveness and independence of the United Nations and to ensure that response of the multilateral institutions match with the priorities and expectations of the member States concerned.
The Union Minister also highlighted that the observance of the principles of the UN Charter and the applicable international law is of utmost importance for the maintenance of the world peace and security. At the same time, he added, application of international law should be based on sovereign equality, impartiality and avoidance of double standards. He also emphasized the need to correct the mistake of allowing unwieldy mandate holders with no corresponding due diligence to adhere to the principles of independence, impartiality and integrity.
The Union Minister U Kyaw Tin also attended the Working Lunch-Retreat Session hosted by Mr JosepBorrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. At the working lunch, the Union Minister gave a factual background of the communal violence in Rakhine State, which goes back into past centuries including the movement for creation of an autonomous space in Northern Rakhine State. He also informed the meeting of the ongoing measures taken by the Government to address the accountability of the alleged human rights violations.
While in Madrid, the Union Minister met with Dato Lim Jock Hoi, ASEAN Secretary General and discussed on speeding up the implementation of priority projects for creating conducive conditions in Rakhine State for the repatriation process. The Union Minister also held bilateral meeting with Mr Fernando M. ValenzuelaMarzo, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain on the sidelines of the meeting and discussed issues of mutual interests and promotion of bilateral relations. The Union Minister also met with three youth representatives from Myanmar who were attending the 9th Model ASEM Meeting in Madrid. During the meetings, the Union Minister was accompanied by the Myanmar Ambassador to Spain U Kyaw Zeya and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) was established in 1996, to serve as a platform for informal dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe. Presently it comprises 53 partners: 30 European and 21 Asian countries, European Union and the ASEAN Secretariat. Next ASEM Summit will be held in Cambodia in November 2020.—MNA