Thai Vice Foreign Minister, Jullapong Nonsrichai handed the instrument to Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr Surin Pitsuwan during their informal meeting at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting at Nusa Dua, Bali, Tuesday, the ASEAN Secretariat said in a statement here on Wednesday.
Dr Surin welcomed the deposit of the Thai instrument, saying that this is another historic moment in Thailand`s external relations and participation in ASEAN.
He noted that the ASEAN Foreign Ministers wish to encourage those remaining High Contracting Parties to speed up their respective ratification processes to bring about the early entry into force of the Third Protocol. ASEAN embassies in those countries concerned will be mobilised to draw attention of their host governments to the ratification requirement.
With the deposit of the Thai instrument, only nine more ratifications are required for the entry into force of the Third Protocol, which is designed to open the 1976 Treaty for accession by regional organisations which members are sovereign states.
After the amendment enters into force, the European Union/European Commission intends to accede to the Treaty. The nine remaining High Contracting Parties that have not ratified the Third Protocol are Bangladesh, the Democratic People`s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.(*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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