ASEAN's strength will not be lost in APEC: Study<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The strength of the Association of South East
\nAsian Nations (ASEAN) will not be \"diluted\" by the Asia Pacific
\nEconomic Cooperation (APEC) forum, a study says.<\/p>\n
\"Fears that ASEAN will be redundant once the APEC forum is
\ninstitutionalized are not based on strong arguments. Seen from
\nwhatever angle, the existence of the forum will never reduce the
\nimportance of ASEAN,\" says a study on the development of APEC and
\nits impact on ASEAN conducted by the Indonesian Ministry of
\nForeign Affairs.<\/p>\n
The results of the study were presented at the Hilton
\nExecutive Club yesterday by a team led by Sujatmiko. A number of
\neconomists and scholars, including Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti and
\nHadi Soesastro, were also present to discuss the study's
\nfindings.<\/p>\n
The study argues that the scope of cooperation in ASEAN is
\nmuch larger than that of the APEC forum. The latter focuses only
\non economic affairs, especially trade and investment, while ASEAN
\nencompasses matters of politics, economics and defense.<\/p>\n
\"These large fields of cooperation, which are not addressed by
\nthe APEC forum, have driven ASEAN to remain in its own tracks,\"
\nthe study's draft report says.<\/p>\n
APEC groups Canada, the United States, Mexico, Chile, Japan,
\nHong Kong, China, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand,
\nPapua New Guinea along with the six members of ASEAN -- Thailand,
\nMalaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The study also assuages fears that developed members will
\ndominate the APEC forum in the future by saying that ASEAN has
\nbeen the core of the forum ever since the formation of the forum
\nin 1989. ASEAN, on the other hand, was set up in 1967.<\/p>\n
\"ASEAN has so far influenced the APEC forum in many ways...The
\nASEAN's model of the consensus system in adopting any agreement,
\nfor instance, is also applied in APEC,\" the study says.<\/p>\n
Warning<\/p>\n
Hadi, executive director of the Centre for Strategic
\nInternational Studies, warned that ASEAN's role in the APEC forum
\nwill diminish unless ASEAN members remain united in the forum.<\/p>\n
Critics have said that the cohesiveness of ASEAN has been
\ndeteriorating since the second APEC leaders' informal summit in
\nBogor last November, when Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines
\nexpressed their own reservations with the Bogor Declaration.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia has to take a leadership approach to bridge the
\ndifferent opinions among ASEAN members as Indonesia has a great
\ninterest in implementing the Bogor Declaration,\" Hadi said.<\/p>\n
He noted that the thorny issues brewing among ASEAN countries
\nare the substance of the Bogor Declaration, especially on trade
\nand investment liberalization in the region by 2020.<\/p>\n
The study suggests that ASEAN leaders should meet before
\nattending APEC meetings to consolidate themselves in the face of
\nthe more developed members.<\/p>\n
\"The pattern shows that the APEC economic leaders meeting will
\nbe conducted annually, at least until 1998.... Thus, the ASEAN
\nleaders meeting, either formal or informal, becomes very
\nimportant...in achieving a single position within the APEC
\nforum,\" the study suggests.(rid)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/aseans-strength-will-not-be-lost-in-apec-study-1447893297",
"image": ""
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