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Information Sheet No.B-1183(I)
- Subject: Information Sheet No.B-1183(I)
- From: OKKAR66129@xxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1999 01:43:00
MYANMAR INFORMATION COMMITTEE
YANGON
Information Sheet
No.B-1183(I) 15th December 1999
(1) Third Meeting of ASEAN Directors-General of Immigration Departments and
Heads of Consular Divisions Ends
The Third Meeting of ASEAN Directors-General of
Immigration Departments and Heads of Consular
Divisions continued for the second day at the Traders
Hotel ,Yangon on 14 December. Officials of ASEAN
Secretariat explained matters relating to immigration
and consular affairs and minutes of the Second ASEAN
member nations took part in the discussions.
Afterwards, the meeting decided to hold the Fourth
Meeting of ASEAN Directors-General of Immigration
Departments and Heads of Consular Divisions in the
Philippines in Year 2000. Then, Those present
prepared the draft of joint communique and approved
the reports of the Third Meeting of ASEAN
Directors-General of Immigration Departments and Heads
of Consular Divisions. The meeting came to a close on
14 December.
A press conference on the Third Meeting of ASEAN
Directors-General of Immigration Departments and
Heads of Consular Divisions held in Yangon held at
Traders Hotel. Present were officials led by Deputy
Secretary-General of ASEAN Secretariat Mr. Immanuel
Robert Inkiriwang, delegates from ten ASEAN member
nations, the directors-general on immigration, heads
of consular divisions, officials from News &
Periodicals Enterprise, Managing Director of News
correspondents from foreign news agencies and guests.
Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN Secretariat
explained about the joint press statement of the
Third Meeting of ASEAN Directors-General of
Immigration Department and Heads of Consular
Divisions. Next, questions asked by journalists were
answered by Director-General of the ASEAN Affairs
Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy
Secretary-General of the ASEAN Secretariat and
commissioner of Bureau of Immigration of the
Philippines.
They replied that visa free entry for nations of
ASEAN member nations was practised in almost all the
members. Work was under way in the remaining countries
to follow the example; the meeting did not discuss
bilateral matters but those concerning the whole ASEAN
: work had already started to facilitate visa free
entry for ASEAN nationals finally achieving the target
in 2000. Regarding the realization of the visa free
entry for ASEAN nationals, the use of Smart Cards as
travel documents and establishment of ASEAN Lanes at
the airports of the ASEAN cities, they replied that it
would be accomplished as soon as possible depending
on the readiness of the respective airports.
(2) Joint Press Statement Third Meeting of ASEAN Directors-General of
Immigration Departments and Heads of Consular Divisions
The following is the joint press statement issued at
the end of the Third Meeting of ASEAN
Directors-General of Immigration Departments and
Heads of Consular Divisions on 14 December.
Framework for ASEAN Cooperation on Immigration Matters
The ASEAN Directors-General of Immigration
Departments and the Heads of Consular Divisions of the
ASEAN Ministries of Foreign Affairs fully recognized
the urgent need for greater cooperation on
immigration matters to support ASEAN initiatives
including efforts towards closer economic integration,
the move to facilitate greater intra ASEAN tourism and
the fight against transnational crime. They agreed to
meet on an annual basis to coordinate regional
cooperation on immigration matters so they could
effectively contribute to the achievement of ASEAN
goals. In this regard, they welcomed and supported the
ASEAN Vision 2020 and the Hanoi Plan of Action adopted
by the ASEAN Heads of Government/ State, which would
guide the future directions of ASEAN.
The ASEAN Directors-General of Immigration
Departments and the Heads of Consular Divisions of the
ASEAN Ministries of Foreign Affairs agreed to
establish an Adhoc High-Level Experts Group on
Immigration Matters to undertake the following:
a. To develop an institutional framework for ASEAN
cooperation on immigration matters;
b. To develop a plan of action on immigration
matters encompassing the objectives,scope, strategies,
mechanisms, modalities and funding arrangements; and
c. To establish a directory of immigration focal
points to establish a net work among the immigration
authorities in ASEAN, especially in the area of law
enforcement.
The Meeting of the Adhoc High-Level Experts Group on Immigration
Matters will be convened in 2000 in the Philippines.
Visa Free Entry Offered by Member Countries to ASEAN National
The ASEAN Directors-General of Immigration Department
and the Heads of Consular Divisions of the ASEAN
Ministries of Foreign Affairs were pleased that most
countries in ASEAN had already instituted visa free
arrangements for ASEAN national and encouraged Member
Countries that had yet to provide the facility to
consider extending it.
Use of the Smart Cards as Travel Document in ASEAN
The ASEAN Directors-General of Immigration
Departments and the Heads of Consular Divisions of
the ASEAN Ministries of Foreign Affairs agreed to
continue discussion on the use of smart cards to
facilitate travel within ASEAN.
Harmonisation of ASEAN Immigration Disembarkation Cards
The ASEAN Directors- General of Immigration
Departments and the Heads of Consular Divisions of the
ASEAN Ministries of Foreign Affairs appreciated the
need to harmonise the disembarkation/embarkation card
to facilitate business, investment and tourism, and to
create an ASEAN identity. They agreed, as a first
step, to implement as soon as possible the use of the
ASEAN logo on the front page of disembarkation/
embarkation Card beside the emblem of respective
Member Countries.
ASEAN Lanes at ASEAN International Airports
The ASEAN Directors-General of Immigration
Departments and the Heads of Consular Divisions of the
ASEAN Ministries of Foreign Affairs supported the
Visit ASEAN Millennium Year (VAMY) 2002 campaign to
be implemented by the ASEAN National Tourism
Organisations (NTOs) and agreed to consider
establishing ASEAN lanes to facilitate the increase in
tourist arrivals from ASEAN Member Countries as soon
as possible.
Combating Transnational Crime
The ASEAN Directors-General of Immigration
Departments and the Heads of Consular Divisions of
the ASEAN Ministries of Foreign Affairs welcomed the
ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime and
the ACTC adopted at the Second ASEAN Ministerial
Meeting and agreed to work closely with the Senior
Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime on
transnational crime matters.
Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held in 2000 in the
Philippines.
Acknowledgements
The ASEAN Directors-General of Immigration
Departments and the Heads of Consular Divisions of the
ASEAN Ministries of Foreign Affairs expressed their
deepest appreciation to the Government and people of
the Union of Myanmar for their warm hospitality and
excellent arrangements made for the meeting.
The Meeting was held in the traditional spirit of
ASEAN solidarity and cordiality.
(3) Banking Services Course 1/99 for Supervisors of MEB concludes
The closing ceremony of Banking Services Course 1/99
for Supervisors of Myanma Economic Bank was held at
MEB Branch No 1 on Pansodan Street in conjunction
with the opening ceremony of Banking Services Course
2/99 and Financial Management Course 1/99 for
Managers. A total of 52 trainees are attending the
course for supervisors, 27 trainees the course for
managers and 50 financial management course.
(4) Photo Exhibition on Scenic Beauty of Japan Opened
Photo Exhibition on Scenic Beauty of Japan,
co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, the Japan
Foundation and the Embassy of Japan, opened at the
National Museum on 14 December. The exhibition
displaying 85 paintings of scenic beauty opens daily
from 10 am to 4 pm till 19 December.
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