President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, together with the 9 ASEAN leaders, want to set up a permanent regional emergency rice reserve due to the increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters that hit the region.
This was dsicussed by the ASEAN and China, Japan and South Korea, or ASEAN Plus 3 at the 12th ASEAN Plus 3 Summit.
The ASEAN leaders noted that the East Asia Emergency Rice Reserve (EAERR) Pilot Project is due to expire in February 2010. It is thus necessary to transform the project into a permanent aid mechanism under the ASEAN Plus 3 Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR).
They urged their respective agriculture and foreign ministers to work closely towards the early realization of APTERR in order to ensure the continuation of regional food security mechanism after the expiration of the EARR Pilot Project. (PIA)
