ASEAN's future<\/p>\n
The annual round of ASEAN foreign ministers' meetings has
\nbecome such a complex event that it is sometimes difficult to
\nsort out the important bits from the details.<\/p>\n
In some respects this year's meetings appeared bland, but on a
\nhandful of important issues, ASEAN has taken significant steps
\ntoward further future change.<\/p>\n
The most obvious achievement in historical terms was the
\nformal admission of Vietnam as ASEAN's seventh member. In Brunei
\nthis might not have appeared too exciting since all the
\npreparations had been concluded in advance.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, the achievement was historical.<\/p>\n
With so many past expectations ending in disappointment, one
\nimportant but intangible virtue remains -- the high level of
\ncomfort ASEAN's members enjoy in each others' company.<\/p>\n
Now a former enemy is on the way hopefully to becoming a good
\nfriend, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations might
\nnever be the same again.<\/p>\n
A lot of questions remain to be settled about Vietnam's
\nparticipation in ASEAN, however.<\/p>\n
Some issues dominate: whether Vietnam will be able to attend
\nall the many ASEAN meetings, and whether ASEAN can streamline its
\nincreasingly cumbersome structure of committees, and whether
\nVietnam can meet the challenge of the ASEAN free Trade Area, even
\nif it is allowed a three-year delay.<\/p>\n
Next on ASEAN's main fixtures list are the economic ministers'
\nmeeting in October and the Bangkok Summit in December. The Sultan
\nof Brunei's proposal for free trade to be achieved in 2000
\ninstead of 2003 is likely to be discussed seriously.<\/p>\n
So are further institutional reforms.<\/p>\n
ASEAN's new members and the increasing scope of subjects
\ncovered -- service and intellectual property could be next in
\nline for ASEAN liberalization -- will require yet another
\noverhaul for the secretariat and for the various committees.<\/p>\n
We will still have to wait some years to see if any of this
\nhas a real impact on the economies or the securities of the
\nregion. But for the time being, the pace of ASEAN's
\ntransformation has quietly stepped up gear.<\/p>\n
-- The Bangkok Post<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/aseans-future-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }