Thailand to nominate former FM as ASEAN chief
Afp, Bangkok
Thailand will nominate a former foreign minister as the new secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional body, a government spokesman said. "Thailand will nominate Surin Pitsuwan as secretary general of ASEAN for five years beginning January 1, 2008," Yongyuth Mayalarp told reporters. Yongyuth said Thailand would propose Surin's name at an ASEAN meeting in the Philippines next month. Surin, 57, gained a PhD from Harvard University in 1982, and has also studied Arabic and Islamic philosophy at the American University in Cairo. He is an expert on foreign affairs and was named Thailand's deputy foreign minister in 1992 and became foreign minister in a Democrat Party-led coalition from November 1997 to February 2001.
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