PHNOM PENH: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman, Koy Kuong stated to EAC News that the decision to postpone the AMM Retreat was because many ASEAN Foreign Ministers stated they would have difficulty traveling to Siem Reap to attend the meeting in January.

At a press conference held last Saturday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhon, stated that his candidacy for the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar would be announced in a closed meeting to be held in Siem Reap on 18-19 January.

Spokesman Koy Koung confirmed that this meeting’s postponement would not affect the position and role of the ASEAN Special Envoy, as all ASEAN parties had already agreed with this decision after Prime Minister Hun Sen announced Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn’s as special envoy earlier this year.

"When Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ASEAN Chairmanship began from 1 January, then the ASEAN special envoy will be able to start from then on too. Like the news of the Prime Minister’s visit to Myanmar, it has been clarified, and Myanmar itself has confirmed its support for the Deputy Prime Minister as a special envoy,” he said.

The Spokesman, however, was not able to confirm when the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting would be rescheduled to.

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, also known as the AMM Retreat, was established in 1967 to be in charge of discussions regarding ASEAN political-security cooperation as well as ASEAN's relations with external parties and within ASEAN.

The AMM is held at least four times a year and may also convene for special occasions when it is necessary to discuss issues that need urgent attention from ASEAN. The AMM regularly review and discuss efforts to build the ASEAN Community, its strategic future direction, and the conduct of ASEAN external relations.