ASEAN Global Dialogue to make its debut

JAKARTA, April 3 -- The Association of Southeast Asia Nation

(ASEAN) Global Dialogue, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, will be held

in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 12, 2009, according to a press release from the

ASEAN Secretariat on Friday.

The dialog will be co-hosted by the Foreign Ministry of the Royal Thai

Government and the ASEAN Secretariat.

The Prime Minister of Thailand, Abhisit Vejjajiva, will deliver opening

remarks at the event, the press release said.

The dialog would bring together leaders and key decision-makers from the

ASEAN and East Asia countries and key international organizations.

They will discuss the significant challenges the world is facing with now,

namely the global financial meltdown and its destructive consequences; climate

change; international conflicts and tensions; food and energy security and how

the region can contribute to the search for solutions to these challenges.

Leaders from key international organizations who will take part in the

panel are Haruhito Kuroda of the Asian Development Bank; Dominique Strauss-Kahn

of the International Monetary Fund; Ban Ki-Moon of the United Nations; Supachai

Panitchpakdi of UNCTAD; Robert Zoellick of the World Bank; and Pascal Lamy of

the World Trade Organization.