Indonesia offers to host ASEAN meetings for Thailand

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia has offered to step in to host some Southeast Asian ministerial meetings due to be held next month in Thailand because of the political crisis in its neighbour, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Monday.

Thailand has said a final decision on the December 13-17 Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and East Asian meetings is due on Tuesday, a week after anti-government protesters first blockaded Bangkok's international airport [ID:nSP373843].

"I will propose at the cabinet meeting tomorrow to postpone the summit to March as we can't open our airport for leaders' planes to land yet," Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornwiwat told reporters on Monday.

Indonesia and ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan were offering to hold the foreign ministers' meeting of the 10-member Southeast Asian bloc and three East Asian dialogue partners in the ASEAN Secretariat offices in Jakarta, Yudhoyono said.

A finance ministers meeting could be held in Bali, he added.

"Those events are important to officially introduce the ASEAN Charter and formulate joint action to overcome the global financial crisis," Yudhoyono told a news conference.

"I myself hope that the summit will be in Thailand, but if in the near future it is not possible, then the official introduction of the ASEAN Charter would be good to be done," he added, adding that it was also important to discuss a pool of currency swap lines called the Chiang Mai Initiative.

There are concerns that delays could complicate bringing the ASEAN Charter, which aims to set up a political, economic and social bloc of half a billion people, into force in mid December.

ASEAN comprises the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.