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From: , 5 December 2008

Jakarta, (ANTARA News) - It was still possible that the 14th ASEAN summit will be held earlier than planned in March 2009, a senior official said.

Teuku Faizasyah, spokesman for the foreign ministry said here on Friday the Thai government had announced to cancel its plan to hold the 14th ASEAN Summit in March 2009 because of the political crisis in the country.

"Therefore, it is an opportunity to hold the summit earlier than planned," he said.

According to him, hosting the summit should take into account a number of other international programs.

"There are many cases that should be approved by the heads of state/government in the summit before bringing it to an international forum," he said.

Faiza took the Chiang Mai Initiative as example under which a regional agreement on overcoming the global financial crisis should be approved by the heads of state/government after discussing it at a financial ministrial level meeting of ASEAN + 3 and before bringing it to G-20 forum.

By studying all the political developments in Thailand and to maintain the momentum of ASEAN cooperation, the president proposed two urgent matters.

Firstly, to host the ASEAN ministrial meeting at the ASEAN secretariat building in Jakarta was to legitimate the introduction of the ASEAN charter, and secondly, the financial ministrial meeting plus ASEAN + 3 in Bali will discuss efforts to overcome the global financial crisis. (*)