Cambodian PM calls for increased cooperation in ASEAN, vows
\nstability<\/p>\n
Jason Gutierrez
\nAgence France-Presse
\nPhnom Penh<\/p>\n
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday called for
\nincreased Southeast Asian economic integration and assured trade
\nministers from the region his country is on the road to
\nstability.<\/p>\n
In a speech to formally open an Association of Southeast Asian
\nNations (ASEAN) economic ministers meeting here, Hun Sen said he
\nis confident of forming a new government following hotly
\ncontested polls.<\/p>\n
Cambodia is already moving to ease political infighting, Hun
\nSen said, adding that he is confident of heading into a third
\nterm despite his party lacking an outright majority in
\nparliament.<\/p>\n
\"With the national elections completed in good order, we in
\nCambodia now need to renew and intensify our efforts to execute
\nour economic policy agenda,\" the premier said.<\/p>\n
The three-day talks are expected to focus on work to speed up
\nthe creation of the \"ASEAN economic community\", which was first
\nbroached in a leader's summit Phnom Penh last year, officials
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The AEC is envisioned to be set up by 2020, forming a common
\nmarket of 530 million people where tariffs would be totally
\neliminated and factors of production such as labor and capital
\nallowed to move freely across boundaries.<\/p>\n
Hun Sen said that trade ministers have been studying proposals
\nand initiatives that would eventually lead to the realization of
\nthe AEC.<\/p>\n
\"I personally believe that these are very important and
\npromising initiatives and we should all look forward to the
\npresentation of the findings and recommendations at the 9th ASEAN
\nSummit next month in Bali,\" the Cambodian leader told the trade
\nministers.<\/p>\n
He noted that ASEAN countries possess \"immense potential\" and
\nfurther integration of their economies could \"maximize the
\nemployment of resources and generate sustained benefits for our
\npeople.\"<\/p>\n
Cambodia's Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh said it was hoped
\nthat the meetings here would \"produce some substantial
\ndeliverables\" that would in turn be presented to ASEAN leaders
\nnext month.<\/p>\n
\"Also in the next few days, we will be meeting with our
\ncounterparts from our major trading partners including Australia,
\nChina, India, Japan, (South) Korea and New Zealand to explore
\nways and means to further deepen and strengthen existing economic
\ncooperation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
ASEAN is developing Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with India,
\nJapan, South Korea and the United States, and working with China
\nto create the world's largest free trade zone within 10 years
\ncovering 1.7 billion consumers.<\/p>\n
Officials said the ASEAN ministers could also seek support
\nfrom the group's trade partners to forge a common position in the
\nupcoming World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial meetings in
\nCancun, Mexico.<\/p>\n
An Australian official on Monday said his country would use
\nthe ASEAN talks here to build a consensus with Southeast Asian
\nnations on farm trade.<\/p>\n
Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile said he would brief ASEAN
\ncounterparts on his government's disappointment with a recent
\njoint United States-European Union position paper on agriculture
\nwhich will be a key part of the WTO negotiations.<\/p>",
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