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Myanmar gives up Asean 2006 chairmanship

Ministers sign pact for quick disaster response

AFP, Vientiane
Southeast Asian foreign ministers announced yesterday that Myanmar's internationally condemned military rulers will not take the 2006 chairmanship of the Asean group, ending a months-long row. Myanmar had asked to postpone its chairmanship so it could focus on its national reconciliation and democ-ratisation process, Lao Foreign Minister Somsavat Lengsavat announced.
"We have agreed that once Myanmar is ready to assume the chairmanship, it can do so," he said.
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) had been under pressure to deny Myanmar the alphabetically rotated position to spare it criticism from the West, which is highly critical of the ruling junta.
"Our colleague from Myanmar
has explained to us that 2006 will be a critical year and that the government of Myanmar wants to give its full attention to the (national reconciliation and democratisation) process," a statement from the ministers said.
Malaysia, the incoming Asean chairman, welcomed Myanmar's decision, which ended a row that had divided Asean members and overshadowed a meeting of its foreign ministers in the Lao capital Vientiane.
"I think it's a very good decision that Myanmar has made on its own," said Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar.
"I think it shows that Myanmar places the greatest interest on Asean unity," he said.
According to the alphabetical rotation of the position, the Philippines will take Myanmar's place as chairman in 2006.
Prime minister of Laos said during the opening of a regional meeting of foreign ministers yesterday "terrorism is a scourge that must be fought without regard to religion or race".
Meanwhile, Southeast Asian nations yesterday signed a pact to improve their united response to disasters and put in place early warning systems to cope with devastation similar to that caused by last year's tsunami.
The agreement provides for the setting up of mechanisms "to mitigate the impacts of natural and human-induced disaster and serve as a joint response to disaster emergencies," the 10 Asean ministers said in a statement.
The agreement will also pave the way for "developing a world-wide early warning system", said the ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).