JAKARTA, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers of 10 ASEAN nations will meet in Jakarta next week to formalize the ratification of the ASEAN charter, ASEAN Secretariat said here Tuesday.

    The group planned to formalize the charter when Thailand holds the 14th ASEAN summit meeting on Dec. 15-18 in Chiang Mai, but the political unrest in the country led to the postponement of the schedule.

    "The entry into force of the Charter is a historic milestone for the organization, repositioning ASEAN to better meet the challenges of the 21st century," Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said in the statement.

    The statement also said the meeting would be followed by a special meeting of the ASEAN foreign ministers to talk about a new schedule for the postponed 14th ASEAN summit.

    Thailand has suggested to hold the rescheduled summit in March, while Singapore proposed to hold it next month.

    The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Thailand currently holds the rotating chairmanship.