The Secretary-General will pay a tribute to all former Secretary-Generals of ASEAN and other officials involved with the ASEAN Declaration of 1967 (also called the Bangkok Declaration) by inviting them to a celebratory event to be held on the sidelines of the official meetings of the ASEAN Summit. This is likely to be in the form of a reception, although they will also attend the opening of the ASEAN Summit and other public events. The Bangkok Declaration established the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and was signed by the five countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand in 1967.

The former Secretaries-General of ASEAN and other ASEAN officials will be in Thailand from 27 February to 1 March 2009, and may be available for interviews and other media activities. The ASEAN Secretariat can assist in facilitating these sessions.

For more information, contact:

Ms. Agustina Herlisnawati, Phone + 62-21-724-3372, Ext. 453, Email: agustina@asean.org