Asia-Europe forum can be as big as APEC<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia says Asian and European leaders
\nmeeting in a summit for the first time in Bangkok this week can
\nbring the forum into equal eminency as the Asia-Pacific Economic
\nCooperation (APEC) forum.<\/p>\n
This is possible provided that the two groups avoid discussing
\nissues which are considered \"irrelevant\", Minister of Foreign
\nAffairs Ali Alatas said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Asked on the outlook of the summit, which opens on Friday, and
\nwhether it could be as \"big\" as APEC, Alatas did not deny that
\nsuch a possibility.<\/p>\n
\"We will have to see. The two regions are important and both
\nhave a shared interest. We hope a shared perception,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said however that even APEC, was formed in 1989, had to go
\nthrough a long process before achieving its current stature.<\/p>\n
\"We have to be proportional and see how successful we are in
\nthis first meeting and decide what else we can do in future
\nyears,\" he said. \"This is only the beginning,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The 25 leaders who will gather in Bangkok are from Brunei,
\nIndonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand,
\nVietnam, China, Japan, Korea, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland,
\nFrance, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the
\nNetherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n
With the summit just days away, an uncertain cloud remains
\namid speculation that European leaders cannot restrain themselves
\nfrom incorporating issues such as human rights into the talks.<\/p>\n
Asian countries have stressed that \"irrelevant\" and
\n\"controversial\" issues must be shunned, if the summit is to
\nsucceed in uniting perceptions and common goals of cooperation
\nbetween the two continents.<\/p>\n
APEC, grouping 18 Pacific rim countries has concentrated their
\nthree summit meetings solely on trade liberalization and have
\nrarely discussed human rights issues at any level of the forum.<\/p>\n
Alatas underlined the need to avoid these issues during the
\nBangkok summit. He brushed aside media reports suggesting that
\nthe European side would still force the introduction of sensitive
\ntopics in the summit.<\/p>\n
\"Let's not speculate. We believe that Asia's appeal will be
\nheard by Europe. Let's just see what happens,\" he said adding
\nthat \"especially because those issues are not relevant with the
\naims and atmosphere of the summit, including human rights and
\nworker's wages.\"<\/p>\n
Among the major topics to be discussed are matters related to
\nthe economy, investment, the World Trade Organization and
\nreforming the United Nations.<\/p>\n
\"The Asian side believes it would be best if this first
\nmeeting is directed towards concrete matter which are positive
\nand can be a uniting force, not things that create tension,\"
\nAlatas said.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the international Non-Governmental Organization
\nmeeting which begins in Bangkok today just ahead of the summit,
\nAlatas said it would have little bearing on leaders discussions.<\/p>\n
\"We'll see the results of their meeting, but I doubt that it
\nwill be influential to the contents of the (leaders) discussion,
\nnot directly anyway,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Alatas talked to journalists yesterday after meeting his
\nUkrainian counterpart H. Udovonka.<\/p>\n
The two foreign ministers signed an agreement on economic and
\ntechnical cooperation designed as an umbrella agreement to boost
\ncommercial ties and forge a more permanent cooperation between
\nbusinesses in the two countries.<\/p>\n
Among the major points of the agreement is that both sides
\nwould mutually own and be able to use the intellectual property
\nrights arising from this agreement.<\/p>\n
The two ministers also discussed preparations for Ukrainian
\nPresident Leonid M. Kravchuk's official visit to Indonesia
\nstarting on April 10.(mds)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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