CEBU, Philippines, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The date of the 12th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been moved to Jan. 8-13 next year in Cebu, Marciano Paynor, secretary general of the organizing committee for the ASEAN Summit, announced at a news conference here Sunday.

    The summit, originally slated for Dec. 10-14 this year, and was on Dec. 8 postponed to January 2007 because of what the organizing committee called a possible "major weather disturbance."

    Paynor said the specific date was set by the consensus made by the ASEAN senior officials before they left Cebu. Paynor said as a matter of fact, the ASEAN economic officials meetings have been finished in the past few days, so the 12th summit and its related meetings will start with the ASEAN ministerial meetings in January next year.

    He also said the registered domestic and international media who were covering the meetings will be acceptable for the January meetings.

    Cebu Province Governor Gwendolyn Garcia expressed disappointment over the postponement of the summit at the press conference, adding Cebu is ready to well-prepare for the next month summit.   

    Related:

    Report: ASEAN summit put off due to terror threat

    MANILA, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- A Philippine television network Friday quoted an unidentified source of the country's Department of Foreign Affairs as saying that the postponement of the ASEAN summit is due to alleged terror threats.

    The GMA News network website report contrasted claim by summit organizers and Philippine officials that a possible typhoon is the reason for the postponement of the summit. >>> 

     The summit has been postponed to January 2007, the Philippine National Organizing Committee for the summit announced here earlier Friday.