Tehran, Sept 3, IRNA - Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is slated to visit Laos on September 6 to sign a document on Iran�s accession to the Treaty of Amity & Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), it was announced on Saturday.


The foreign ministers of ten member countries of ASEAN on July 24 accepted the accession of Iran, Chile, Morocco and Egypt.

The Treaty of Amity & Cooperation in Southeast Asia is a peace treaty among Southeast Asian countries established by the founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a geo-political and economic organization of 10 countries located in Southeast Asia.

On 24 February 1976, the treaty was signed into force by the leaders of the original members of ASEAN, Lee Kuan Yew, Ferdinand Marcos, Datuk Hussein Onn, Kukrit Pramoj, and Suharto.

Other members acceded to it upon or before joining the bloc. It was amended on 15 December 1987 by a protocol to open the document for accession by states outside Southeast Asia, and again on 25 July 1998, to condition such accession on the consent of all member states. On 23 July 2001, the parties established the rules of procedure of the treaty's High Council, which was stipulated in Article 14 of the document.

Iran is trying to join the ASEAN to take practical steps to implement its policy of looking at the East. ASEAN is also is of considerable position in the region and has a growing role in regional and international developments.

By IRNA