"This meeting has produced several recommendations and agreements for increasing the ASEAN member states` partnerships."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono here Friday chaired the fifth Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council meeting as part of a series of activities ahead of the 18th ASEAN Summit.

"This is an important meeting because it takes place at a time when the world and the region are confronted by challenges that are multidimensional, interlinked and transnational," Agung Laksono said.

He said that the fifth meeting of the ASCC Council was aimed at improving partnerships among ASEAN member states in the socio-cultural field as well as evaluating developments in the implementation of an ASCC blueprint as guidance for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community in 2015.

"This meeting has produced several recommendations and agreements for increasing the ASEAN member states` partnerships in such things as environmental issues, communicable diseases, education and migrant workers," Agung said.

In supporting the disabled persons in regional areas, he also said, ASCC Council also carried Indonesia`s suggestion to create Bali Declaration on the Enhancement of the Role and Participation of Persons with Disabilities.

As the chairmanship of Indonesia in this ASEAN Summit, he said that ASEAN Community was not only responsible for the government of each member countries` work, however the citizens should be participated to get the passion on it.

"In building the ASEAN Community that is people-centered and people-driven, the citizens must also be given every opportunity to participate in ASEAN cooperation and must be encouraged to assume a sense of ownership of the work of ASEAN," he said.

The meeting was attended also by several ministers of Second United Indonesia Cabinet, such as Women Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Linda Amalia Sari, Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik, Health Minister Endang Rahayu and National Development Planning Minister Armida Alisjahbana.
(T. KR-FNY/HAJM/H-YH)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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