Bangkok, July 16 (Xinhua) US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will sign pacts with the ASEAN countries for the US accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia when she meets the foreign ministers of the grouping July 23.
This will be Clinton’s first visit to Thailand after she became the top diplomat of the US administration in January this year.
The foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will meet in Phuket July 19-23 to boost cooperation and discuss regional issues.
The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation is one of the key agendas of the meetings and will be closely watched by the international community.
The treaty was signed in 1976 and is the group’s founding non-aggression pact aimed at promoting regional stability.
It was amended Dec 15, 1987 by a protocol to open the document for accession by states outside Southeast Asia.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will meet Clinton July 23 after her interactions with the foreign delegates.
Abhisit will attend the meeting July 20.
