MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman on Wednesday signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) to consolidate common cooperation and boost strategic partnership.
The agreement was signed by Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali al Harthy, Under-Secretary of the Foreign Ministry for Diplomatic Affairs.
The signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) meeting of foreign ministers, currently held in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh.
The treaty, which brings together 40 countries that are partners with Asean nations, seeks to achieve the principles of amity and enhance cooperation and peace between member states.
Meanwhile, current Asean chair Cambodia warned Myanmar not to execute any more prisoners after the hanging of four people which has caused international outrage.
Foreign ministers from the Asean are discussing how to address the growing crisis in Myanmar at talks in Phnom Penh. The 10-nation regional bloc has spearheaded so far fruitless efforts to restore peace to the country after a military coup last year.
Agreed in April last year, the plan calls for an immediate end to violence and dialogue between the army and coup opponents. “If more prisoners are to be executed, we will be forced to rethink our role vis a vis Asean’s five-point consensus,” Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said as he opened the foreign ministers’ gathering.
Malaysia, which has led efforts to get tough on Myanmar’s junta, told reporters there must be progress before the Asean leaders summit in November.
“If there is no progress, then the leaders will have to ask the hard questions when they meet in November,” said Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, adding that suspending Myanmar from the regional bloc was not off the table.
His comments were echoed by Indonesia’s Retno Marsudi, who said there was “no significant progress”.
“There’s no goodwill and no commitment from the junta to implement the five-point plan,” the foreign minister told reporters. She added certain countries were frustrated by “broken promises” by the junta, and Hun Sen told foreign ministers that “Asean shouldn’t be held hostage to Myanmar”. — Agencies
