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SINGAPORE : The Thai-Cambodia border dispute and the informal 6-party talks may have captured the headlines at the ASEAN Ministerial and related meetings, but observers point out that the ASEAN agenda has not been lost in the midst of it.
The six-party talks ended with the North Koreans coming out to restate the "good meeting" they had.
North Korea's spokesman, Ri Tong Il, said: "Minister Pak (Pak Ui-Chun) attended a meeting with all the other ministers and reaffirmed that there is positive progress."
But still simmering is the Thai-Cambodia border dispute. While the two sides are trying to settle this bilaterally, ASEAN said it stands ready to assist.
Associate Professor Simon Tay, chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said: "There are always the current and choppy waves on the surface. This is a challenge that ASEAN will face, not just today. We still have some tensions at times, but we are relatively stable."
Emerging out of this meeting, the Southeast Asian bloc said it made good headway on the ASEAN Human Rights Body issue and its dispute settlement mechanism.
Despite the immediate challenges, ASEAN officials said the grouping is focused on the long-term direction of the regional bloc.
As for ASEAN's evolving relationship with its dialogue partners, following in the footsteps of the US, countries including Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and Russia have stated their intent to appoint an Ambassador to ASEAN.
Observers said this bodes well for regional integration, and as ASEAN matures as a regional body, this grouping of diverse nations can and must stay relevant. - CNA /ls
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