France postpones signing of landmark treaty with Asean

France has postponed the signing of a landmark treaty with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) because it is occupied with the Middle East crisis, Malaysia said Monday.
France was due to become the first European country to ink Asean's Treaty of Amity and Co-operation (TAC) at the group's annual meeting of foreign ministers here Tuesday.
"There will be no signing of the Treaty of Amity by France, because at present France is very much involved as president of the UN Security Council in the Middle East," said Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid. "They would like to give all their attentions to the efforts in trying to achieve peace at the Middle East," he told a press conference.
"And (they are) looking at the current problem, so we have decided to postpone the signing of TAC until a future date which is to be decided, and the venue to be decided."
France's Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, who is on a tour of the Middle East, had been expected to attend the Asean meeting. Syed Hamid did not specify whether he had cancelled his trip. The Asean non-aggression pact commits signatory states to respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member countries.
Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Korea and Russia have also signed the treaty along with the Asean members themselves. Signing of the treaty is also a condition of entry into the 16-nation East Asia Summit, the first meeting of which was held in Kuala Lumpur last December.
ASEAN BACKS THAI FOR UN CHIEF: Southeast Asian foreign ministers Monday pledged to help Thailand's Deputy Minister Surakiart Sathirathai in his quest for the UN's top job in the face of growing competition from other candidates.
Surakiart met with the ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign in Kuala Lumpur to boost his campaign, briefing them on his efforts so far.
The ministers reaffirmed their endorsement of Surakiart as Asean's candidate and "discussed and agreed on a co-ordinated campaign strategy to be pursued in the next critical months," a statement released after the meeting said. They also "agreed to collectively and individually help seek support for the Asean candidate" from some 16 other countries attending Asean meetings this week in Malaysia.