The date of the 12th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been moved to Jan. 8-13 next year in Cebu, Marciano Paynor, secretary general of the organizing committee for the ASEAN Summit, announced at a news conference in Cebu Sunday.

The summit, originally slated for Dec. 10-14 this year, and was on Dec. 8 postponed to January 2007 because of what the organizing committee called a possible "major weather disturbance."

Paynor said the specific date was set by the consensus made by the ASEAN senior officials before they left Cebu. Paynor said as a matter of fact, the ASEAN economic officials meetings have been finished in the past few days, so the 12th summit and its related meetings will start with the ASEAN ministerial meetings in January next year.

He also said the registered domestic and international media who were covering the meetings will be acceptable for the January meetings.

Cebu Province Governor Gwendolyn Garcia expressed disappointment over the postponement of the summit at the press conference, adding Cebu is ready to well-prepare for the next month summit.

Source: Xinhua