Defence ministers honour Lao counterpart after crash

Defence ministers honour Lao counterpart after crash

By Pyae Thet Phyo with AFP   |   Monday, 26 May 2014

A plane crash in Laos that killed five senior government officials has overshadowed a regional meeting of defence ministers in Nay Pyi Taw. Lao Minister for Defence Lieutenant General Douangchay Phichit was among the 20 people thought to have died in the crash on May 18.

Minister for Defence Lieutenant General Wai Lwin (centre) speaks at a press conference following the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting on May 20. (Pyae Thet Phyo/The Myanmar Times)

Laos was not represented at the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting in Nay Pyi Taw on May 19-20. Attendees issued a statement expressing their "deepest sympathies" over the deaths.

"It is a big loss not only for the Lao People's Democratic Republic and Lao National Defence but also for the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting," they said.

They also observed a minute's silence on May 20 for Lt Gen Phichit, who had attended the regional defence meetings since they were launched in 2006.

The Lao delegation was believed to be travelling to an official ceremony in the northeastern province of Xiangkhouang on an air force jet manufactured by Ukraine's Antonov. The cause of the crash remains unclear.

At last week's meeting regional defence ministers agreed on a three-year workplan through to 2016 that will include discussions on forming direct communication links between the defence ministers and holding meetings with defence ministers from ASEAN partner countries.

Minister for Defence Lieutenant General Wai Lwin said at a press conference on May 20 that the ministers had "open" discussions on regional security and stability, and ways of furthering cooperation.

They also signed a declaration titled "Defence Cooperation toward a Peaceful and Prosperous ASEAN Community".

"In the joint declaration, we reaffirmed our desire to strengthen defence cooperation to support the emergence of the ASEAN Community in 2015," Lt Gen Wai Lwin said. 

 

Translation by Thiri Min Htun

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2014/05/27/defence-ministers-honour-lao-counterpart-after-crash/