JAKARTA:  Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra visited the ASEAN headquarters in Jakarta and met with ASEAN Secretary-General Rodolfo C. Severino, Jr. and senior members of the ASEAN Secretariat on 18 January 2002.  Prime Minister Thaksin was in Indonesia for a two-day state visit.  In his meeting with Secretary-General Severino, Prime Minister Thaksin expressed his appreciation to the Secretary-General and commended the ASEAN Secretariat and for its �important role� in facilitating decision-making in ASEAN.  He said that he would like to see ASEAN �cooperate more� including the integration of its newer members; continue to implement AFTA; and accelerate ASEAN�s economic cooperation with China, particularly through an ASEAN-China free trade area.  Secretary-General Severino briefed the Prime Minister on what ASEAN senior officials and the ASEAN Secretariat are doing in these areas.  The Prime Minister added that ASEAN �should move faster� in its areas of cooperation and suggested that ASEAN encourage �pathfinders� among its members to move forward while others may join when they are ready.

For photos of the visit, click here.