Mr. Heng Samrin on official visit to Thailand and to attend 30th AIPA

Source: Deum Ampil newspaper
Reported in English by Khmerization

Mr. Heng Samrin (pictured), chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly, will leave to attend the 30th Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) from 2-6 August in Pattaya in Thailand. He will then begin his two day official visit to Thailand by the invitation from Mr. Chai Chidchob, the Thai Speaker of Parliament who had visited Cambodia from 23-24 July, 2009.

The AIPA was formed on 2nd September 1997 as the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Organisation, but in 2007 the name was changed to AIPA. The group comprised 8 member states of Asean with the exception of Brunei and Burma.

During this meeting, Brunei and Burma will be invited as observers and it is expected that Brunei will be admitted as a full member during the meeting. Other observers include 10 countries from across the globe, include Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Russia, the United States, Papua New Guinea and the European Union. Two other special observers are Norway and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Vietnam will host the 31st AIPA in 2010.