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BANGKOK - Thailand Wednesday named new dates for a delayed summit of Southeast Asian nations but said arrangements for meetings with heavyweight partners including China and Japan would be made separately.
The 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have agreed to meet in Bangkok on February 27, 28 and March 1, said Virasakdi Futrakul, permanent secretary of the foreign ministry.
The summit was originally due to take place in December but has been repeatedly rescheduled, once after Bangkok's airports were blockaded by protesters opposed to the previous government.
"To organise an ASEAN summit shows that Thailand has returned to normalcy," Virasakdi said.
But meetings with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand -- which were meant to occur simultaneously with the summit -- will now be held at another time, he said.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will Wednesday set dates for meetings with the so-called "dialogue partners", after many had problems coordinating the timing, Virasakdi added.
"Late January it's Chinese new year, in February Japan and Singapore are busy with the budget, in March the Chinese leader is busy with a congress meeting," he said.
Southeast Asia analyst Michael Montesano said the absence of major powers would weaken the summit.
"But it would be a mistake to rush and blame Thailand for this because if the major powers really saw importance in attending the summit they would find a way to do so," said Montesano, of the National University of Singapore.
Thailand has repeatedly changed the summit's venue and date since it was originally scheduled for mid-December in Bangkok.
In October it moved the location to the northern city of Chiang Mai because of protests against the last government, which was loyal to the ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
The summit was then postponed until March after protesters occupied Bangkok's airports for a week in December, which led to the toppling of the previous government and the installation of Abhisit's.
In mid-December the government said the summit would be held from February 24-26, while Abhisit said he hoped it could be held in January.
Less than two weeks ago the date was again changed, to February 13-15.
Supporters of Thaksin, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006, said earlier Tuesday they would hold rallies to block the summit, in protest at the new foreign minister who was involved in the airport blockade.
But Abhisit insisted the summit would go ahead successfully and urged Thaksin's supporters not to block the meeting, saying they should put the country first.
"I want everybody to uphold our national interest," Abhisit told reporters.
"This is not only about the government but the entire Thai nation as it affects Thailand's status as chairman of ASEAN."
Thailand currently holds the chairmanship of the grouping under a rotating system.ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. - AFP/vm
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