Norway on July 1 signed an amity and cooperation treaty with the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Brunei, vowing to
further develop ties with the 10-member regional bloc.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide affirmed that the
accession to the treaty is an extension of Norway’s long-standing
engagement in the region and its commitments to multilateralism.
The minister announced a 7-million-USD Norwegian ASE AN Regional
Initiatives Fund as a step to further his country’s engagement with
ASEAN.
The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in
Southeast Asia is a pact on non-aggression and cooperation between
ASEAN members and partners.
First signed by the then
ASEAN members of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore
and the Philippines in 1976, the non-ASEAN parties to the treaty
include China, India, Japan, the United States , Russia
and the European Union.
ASEAN groups Brunei,
Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. -VNA