Regional Integration, Disaster Relief, Security Expected to Highlight ASEAN Meeting
东盟外长将讨论宪章等一系列问题
Foreign ministers from the Association of South East Asian Nations - ASEAN - are meeting in Singapore this week to discuss a range of issues, including progress toward ratifying a charter promoting regional integration.
东南亚国家联盟10个国家的外长这个星期在新加坡就一系列问题展开讨论，其中包括批准一部促进地区一体化的宪章。
ASEAN members agreed on the creation of a charter late last year. Among other things, it commits Southeast Asian nations to notions of democracy and human rights. It also sets out common rules for negotiations in trade, investment, environment and other fields, and aims to turn the region into a free trade zone by 2015.
东盟各成员国去年年底同意颁布一部宪章，其中一项内容就是东南亚各国致力于民主和人权的理念。宪章也将就贸易、投资、环境等问题设立一些基本准则，目标是到2015年时把这一地区建立成一个自由贸易区。
Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo says Burma recently approved the charter and will likely formally announce its decision when regional foreign ministers meet Sunday. Only Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines have not ratified the agreement.
新加坡外长杨荣文表示，缅甸最近批准了这部宪章，而且很有可能在星期天各国外长举行会议的时候宣布其决定。只有泰国、印度尼西亚和菲律宾还没有批准这项协议。
Carl Thayer, a regional security specialist at the Australian National University, says the charter will be a key item on the foreign ministers' agenda.
澳大利亚国立大学地区安全事务专家卡尔.塞耶表示，有关宪章的讨论将是外长会议的关键日程。
"The foreign ministers are meeting at a time where they know they are working towards a summit where the real decisions are made by the heads of government and for the ASEAN charter to pass. So one of their major concerns will be to get progress reports on the four or five states yet to do so; Indonesia, the Philippines, being two notable ones," said Thayer.
他说：“各国外长们都知道，他们正在为首脑会议进行准备。在首脑会议上，各国领袖将作出真正的决定，让宪章获得通过。因此，外长们最关注的问题之一就是了解四、五个尚未通过这部宪章的国家的情况，其中最引人注目的国家是印度尼西亚和菲律宾。”
Observers say the Philippine Senate could block ratification of the charter unless Burma's military releases the country's opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently under house arrest.
观察家们认为，除非缅甸军人统治者释放仍然遭到软禁的反对派领导人昂山素季，否则菲律宾上议院不会批准这部宪章。
Singapore, which currently leads the regional bloc, says it is confident the charter will be ratified by the end of the year.
目前担任东盟主席国的新加坡表示，新加坡相信这部宪章将在今年年底获得批准。
ASEAN foreign ministers are also expected to discuss disaster relief and management following the devastating cyclone and earthquake that struck Burma and China, respectively, in May.
预期，东盟各国外长们还将讨论援救努力和危机管理问题。今年5月，缅甸和中国分别遭受了热带风暴和地震的袭击。
ASEAN played a key role in brokering an agreement between Burma and the United Nations in a bid to speed up relief efforts.
东盟在缅甸和联合国之间斡旋，为加快救援努力发挥了关键作用。
Burma was criticized by the West and human rights groups for restricting access to the hardest hit areas and for refusing direct aid.
西方国家和人权团体批评缅甸限制救援团体进入受灾最严重的地区并且拒绝接受直接援助。
Carl Thayer, regional security analyst at the Australian National University, says ASEAN is likely to stand by its response and the agreement with the United Nations and Burma.
地区安全事务专家卡尔.塞耶说，东盟很有可能对东盟的反应以及联合国和缅甸的协议进行辩护。
"ASEAN will have to be able to defend its record in providing humanitarian assistance to Burma after cyclone Nargis against Western charges that the Burmese government was late and responsible for an awful lot - they have to put a gloss on that in particular," he said.
他说：“西方国家指责缅甸政府在热带风暴‘纳尔吉斯’袭击后迟迟不能提供救援，应当对人民遭受的苦难负责。东盟将不得不对它向缅甸提供人道主义救援的记录进行辩护。东盟尤其要对这件事情轻描淡写。”
The ASEAN foreign ministers are preparing to welcome North Korea as a regional partner when Pyongyang signs a Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, seen as a significant symbolic step by ASEAN as a forum for dialogue on regional security issues.
东盟各国外长正在准备欢迎北韩在签署和睦与合作条约后成为东盟的一个地区夥伴。这一举动被看成是东盟发展成为地区安全对话论坛的象征性一步。
ASEAN will also be looking at possible solutions to rising oil and food prices amid warnings inflation could threaten political stability.
东盟还将讨论解决油价和食品价格高涨的办法。有警告说，通货膨胀有可能威胁这一地区的政治稳定。
