CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- The just concluded meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was an important landmark in efforts to give new impetus to this regional organization, particularly in the post-Sept. 11 atmosphere. Several points about the meeting are worth mentioning:
(1) The informal character of the gathering, at the tropical paradise of Phuket in southern Thailand, proved once again that ministers are in a better position to deliver when they meet quietly and express themselves openly and freely without having to resort to the usual political rhetoric. The fact that perceptions vary from member to member about terrorism -- an issue that is so new and yet prone to affect local sensitivities so differently -- is precisely why a frank exchange of information and evaluations was useful and compelling.
(2) As expected, terrorism overshadowed all other topics during the talks. This should be viewed positively, for the scourge of terror seems to be drawing closer to the region, affecting not only its security but also its economy and prosperity. By placing so much emphasis on the problem, ministers signaled their personal as well as their governments' great concerns. Some even admitted, by way of self-criticism, a degree of responsibility for lapses in correctly projecting the regional security situation.