ASEAN

Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan has been invited to attend next

month's Group of 20 (G-20) summit. The meeting, to be held April 2 in

London, will focus on the economic crisis. "The invitation sends a

strong signal of recognition of ASEAN by the G-20," Surin Pitsuwan said

in a press release issued Friday. "Both emerging and developing

countries as well as developed countries need to work together to

contain the ongoing global financial crisis." He added that the

invitation was an indication of Asean's emergence as a "regional player

and a global actor".