FOLLOWING three days of briefings, politicians from South Korea, Pakistan and the Philippines said yesterday that preparations were on course for a gathering of Asian political parties set to be held later this year in Phnom Penh.

Mushahid Hussain Sayed, secretary general of the Pakistan Muslim League, said at a press conference held at the Council of Ministers that Cambodia’s experience with war and reconciliation made it a natural candidate for an event marking the 10th anniversary of the founding of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties.

“Cambodia today is far cry from what it was, and their policy of reconciliation could be a model for others, particularly in Afghanistan,” he said.

The two-day event – scheduled for December 2 and 3 – is set to include meetings of various groupings within ICAPP, which encompasses 310 political parties from more than 50 countries, as well as discussions with representatives of Latin American and Caribbean countries belonging to the the Cocoa Producers Alliance.

Sayed said it would result in a “Declaration of Phnom Penh”, that he said would address the economy, the environment and energy issues.

“We see these as being a roadmap for the solutions to problems in Asia, a policy prescription for Asian governments,” he said.

Prime Minister Hun Sen is set to preside over a portion of the programming.