Norway on July 1 signed an amity and cooperation treaty with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Brunei, vowing to further develop ties with the 10-member regional bloc.

 Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide affirmed that the accession to the treaty is an extension of Norway’s long-standing engagement in the region and its commitments to multilateralism.

 The minister announced a 7-million-USD Norwegian ASE AN Regional Initiatives Fund as a step to further his country’s engagement with ASEAN.

 The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia is a pact on non-aggression and cooperation between ASEAN members and partners.

 First signed by the then ASEAN members of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines in 1976, the non-ASEAN parties to the treaty include China, India, Japan, the United States , Russia and the European Union.

 ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

VNA