Information Sheet No.B-1183(I)

[OKKAR66129@xxxxxxx]

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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