SBY meets new ASEAN supremo

Bagus BT Saragih, the Post of Jakarta, Jakarta | National | Mon, April 08 2013, 6: 56 PM

Secretary-General of ASEAN Le Luong Minh paid a courtesy visit to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in his Office on Monday. It was the first formal meeting between the two leaders since Minh was inaugurated as Secretary General on 7 January.

"I appreciate Indonesia and President Yudhoyono for the continued strengthening of ASEAN, especially with the progress of the ASEAN Community" Minh told the press.

The former Vietnamese Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs said that he and Yudhoyono discussed the establishment of the ASEAN Community usually by 2015.

Minh said that during the meeting, he also concern about the tension in the South China Sea.

' We need an environment of peace and stability, and to ensure the adoption of a standard code of conduct, especially with regard to the South China Sea, "he said.

Presidential spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said that Foreign Affairs Yudhoyono welcomed the appointment of Minh.

"The President stressed the importance of a rules-based ASEAN with good policy coordination. That is the fundamental condition we have to go to the ASEAN community, "he said. (ebf)