BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, July 29 Kyodo ...

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, July 29 Kyodo

Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed Monday to application of mind whether the region would ne a of the present day body to handle the evolving cooperation between ASEAN and its three Northeast Asian neighbors.

Nitya Pibulsonggram, a Foreign Ministry adviser who attended the ASEAN talks forward behalf of Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, told reporters the ASEAN foreign ministers were unable to end if any new carcass should be set up within the existing ASEAN Secretariat or a separate entity should be established.

Nitya was referring to the ongoing debate in succession a new secretariat to support cooperation between the 10-member ASEAN and its three Northeastern neighbors -- Japan, China and southerly Korea.

''Senior officials and the ASEAN Secretariat will have to cogitation all of the options, including Malaysia's proposal to place up a new ASEAN-Plus-Three secretariat in Kuala Lumpur he said.

Nitya said ASEAN senior officials will report their inquiry back to the ministers.

Malaysia has propos the establishment of a ASEAN-Plus-Three secretariat in Kuala Lumpur and to bear the operational expenditure for the initial five years.

Malaysia has moveed $10 million as seed standard of value for establishing an ASEAN Plus Three Secretariat supply to cover operational costs of the organization after the completion of the five years.

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