Asean ministers meet this week

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Asean ministers meet this week 
20/7/98

 


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They, and senior officials, will tackle issues of free trade, security and
intra-regional diplomacy at their talks in Manila over the fortnight

By NIRMAL GHOSH
PHILIPPINES CORRESPONDENT

MANILA -- Greater engagement, regional security developments, and continued
commitment to free-trade schedules will figure in a series of meetings among
Asean senior officials, ministers and dialogue partners in Manila over the
next two weeks. 

According to sources and reports, Asean foreign ministers set to meet from
Thursday to Saturday will most likely leave schedules leading to an Asean
Free Trade Area (Afta) unchanged despite the regional economic crisis. 

Brunei, Indonesia, Malayia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand are
committed to removing tariffs by 2003. Vietnam will remove tariffs by 2006,
while Myanmar and Laos will do so by 2008. 

A statement from Myanmar -- potentially the most politically-isolated Asean
member -- said: "We are very optimistic that we will be able to fulfill our
commitment under Afta within the allotted time." 

But some government officials and private-sector analysts have cautioned
that Asean should review its schedules as export sectors were re-adjusting
forecasts due to currency re-alignments forced by the regional economic crisis. 

Asean standing committee chairman, Philippines Foreign Secretary Domingo
Siazon, last week said he did not "see any reason why we should really delay
the implementation of Afta". 

Meanwhile, Manila has backed Thailand's proposal for Asean members to be
more open about one another's internal affairs. 

Thailand, prompted by continuing political tension in Myanmar which
periodically results in refugees streaming into Thailand, proposed recently
that Asean's policy of non-interference and silence on members' internal
affairs needed to be reviewed. 

Thai Foreign minister Surin Pitsuwan said the regional economic crisis also
indicated that members' internal affairs were relevant to the rest of the
region. 

Mr Siazon said last week that Asean should consider greater transparency to
help curb corruption and give early warning signals of economic crises. 

The nuclear-arms issue in South Asia would also figure, especially in talks
with dialogue partners. 

A statement from the US Department of State said delegate Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright would raise the issue of nuclear non-proliferation and
disarmament, as well as the situation in Cambodia and the Korean Peninsula. 

But a draft of an Asean Regional Forum (ARF) statement condemning the
nuclear tests of India and Pakistan may be softened in response to
objections from India and some other unidentified dialogue partners and
Asean partners. 

Meetings of senior officials begin today.