Japan vows more help for newer ASEAN members<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (AFP): Japan on Saturday pledged to step up
\nassistance to the newer ASEAN members to help boost their
\ncompetitiveness as the Southeast Asian grouping pursues plans for
\na free trade area by 2018, officials said.<\/p>\n
ASEAN secretary-general Rodolfo Severino said the grouping's
\ncooperation with Japan addressed the issue of helping Cambodia,
\nLaos, Myanmar and Vietnam improve participation in the proposed
\nASEAN Free Trade Area.<\/p>\n
\"With growing economic integration in ASEAN and the expansion
\nof ASEAN itself, we need to pay particular attention to the needs
\nof the newer members of ASEAN in order to help them integrate
\nmore speedily into the AFTA process,\" he said at a news briefing.<\/p>\n
\"The focus of cooperation between ASEAN and Japan addresses
\nthat area of cooperation where we would like to build up the
\ncapacity of the newer members,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Japan's vice minister for international trade and industry
\nHisamitsu Arai met his counterparts from the Association of
\nSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the last day of the economic
\nministers' meeting to discuss progress in improving industrial
\ncooperation and development assistance.<\/p>\n
\"It is important to develop not only the 'hard' aspects of
\ninfrastructure but also 'soft' aspects such as human resources
\ndevelopment and institutional development to improve the
\ninvestment and business environment\" among the newer members,
\nArai said at the meeting.<\/p>\n
Assistance to the four members would be discussed by Japan
\nwith other international agencies such as the Asian Development
\nBank and the World Bank, he added.<\/p>\n
ASEAN hopes to open up trade in Southeast Asia by 2018. But
\nunder an agreement with Australia and New Zealand, it is also
\nlooking into the possibility of establishing the free trade area
\nby 2010.<\/p>\n
Japan would pursue efforts with ASEAN to expand business
\nopportunities for small and medium-scale enterprises by sending
\nhigh-level experts, Arai said.<\/p>\n
He called for a review of anti-monopoly laws and bankruptcy
\nlaws that formed the foundation of economic activities, and
\n\"ensure the effective enforcement\" of such rules to boost
\neconomic cooperation.<\/p>\n
Under the ASEAN-Japan industrial cooperation, Japan is helping
\nthe grouping develop expertise in sectors the Japanese are strong
\nin, such as the automotive, consumer and chemical industries.<\/p>\n
The other ASEAN members are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the
\nPhilippines, Singapore, and Thailand.<\/p>\n
The new ASEAN member countries \"are still on the way to
\neconomic development, and need to move forward with the
\ninstitution of market economies as platforms for development,\"
\nArai said, adding that Japan intends to help with development and
\ninfrastructure projects.<\/p>\n
Arai also raised the possibility of an investment agreement
\nbetween ASEAN and Japan, and discussed boosting industrial
\ncooperation.<\/p>\n
But in order to make Japan's support effective, there would
\nhave to be a \"stronger liaison\" with other development programs
\nin the region and with international institutions such as the
\nAsian Development Bank, Arai said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/japan-vows-more-help-for-newer-asean-members-1447893297",
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