Don't write us off, ASEAN warns the world<\/p>\n
By Kornelius Purba and Meidyatama Suryodiningrat<\/p>\n
HANOI (JP): ASEAN leaders sent a clear message to the world
\nhere on Tuesday, pledging to come out of their summit as a
\nstronger grouping by taking concerted economic and social steps
\nto address the regional crisis.<\/p>\n
The nine leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
\n(ASEAN) stressed at the opening ceremony of their two-day summit
\nthat the regional grouping would emerge from this meeting with
\ngreater cooperative vigor in all areas.<\/p>\n
"I am sure that the detractors of ASEAN do not realize this,"
\nIndonesian President B.J. Habibie said.<\/p>\n
"And I doubt that the friends and supporters of ASEAN are not
\nfully aware that there is hardly an aspect of human life and
\nhuman development not touched by our endeavors," he added.<\/p>\n
Habibie was the second leader to address the opening ceremony
\nfollowing Brunei's Hassanal Bolkiah.<\/p>\n
Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai said that the crisis had
\n"somewhat" eroded the grouping's confidence.<\/p>\n
"It has raised doubts and questions about whether ASEAN can
\nregain its vibrancy and vitality. Some have gone so far as to
\nwrite us off." he said.<\/p>\n
"So the task falls upon us here at this Summit to prove our
\ncritics wrong and help chart the way forward for ASEAN's recovery
\nand renewal," Chuan said during the opening ceremony at the Ba
\nDinh hall.<\/p>\n
"As long as we are able to redouble our efforts toward closer
\neconomic integration and seek to go at least one step beyond our
\npledged commitment, we will create a synergy capable of
\npropelling ASEAN back to normality," Chuan added.<\/p>\n
Similarly, Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong called for
\nliberalization "beyond the expectation of the market" in
\nfinancial services, information technology and civil aviation.<\/p>\n
"If we cannot convince the world that we are united in our
\ndetermination to repair our economies, it could lead the major
\npowers to turn away from Southeast Asia," Goh added.<\/p>\n
The current triennial formal summit comes at a time when the
\ngrouping is at its lowest ebb as a result of the economic crisis.<\/p>\n
Other leaders attending the summit are Filipino President
\nJoseph Estrada, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad,
\nVietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Brunei's Hassanal
\nBolkiah, Laotian Prime Minister Sisavat Keobounphanh and
\nMyanmar's Senior General Than Shwe.<\/p>\n
The collapse of the Thai baht in mid-1997 sparked a contagion
\neffect which saw Southeast Asian currencies and markets tumble.<\/p>\n
The economies of ASEAN members Indonesia, Malaysia, the
\nPhilippines, Singapore and Thailand continue to be hit by
\nrecession while Brunei, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam have also
\nsuffered from the fallout.<\/p>\n
All the leaders expressed their commitment to further economic
\nliberalization through tariff reductions and to attract investors
\nthrough various incentive schemes.<\/p>\n
Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam said during a
\npress briefing later in the afternoon that leaders had given the
\ngreen light to accelerate the ASEAN Free Trade Area deadline from
\n2003 to 2002.<\/p>\n
He said ASEAN leaders also looked at ways to increase and
\nmanage short-term capital flows and discussed the likelihood of a
\ncommon currency.<\/p>\n
They agreed that extensive studies should be conducted on a
\ncommon currency and establish it as a long-term goal. As it may
\ntake sometime before the idea comes to fruition, the leaders said
\nthat in the meantime they would intensify the use of domestic
\nASEAN currencies for intra-ASEAN trade.<\/p>\n
After the close of the summit on Wednesday, the leaders will
\nalso hold meetings with Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao, Korean
\nPresident Kim Dae Jung and Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.<\/p>\n
The meeting with Obuchi will be of particular economic
\ninterest as ASEAN leaders would like to hear at first hand how
\nJapan intends to channel the some US$40 billion in aid programs
\nit has pledged to help the region's battered economies.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dont-write-us-off-asean-warns-the-world-1447893297",
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