New forum is \"missing link\" for Asian cooperation: Singapore FM<\/p>\n
Agencies
\nCha-Am, Thailand<\/p>\n
Singapore Foreign Minister Shunmugam Jayakumar on Wednesday
\npraised a new Asian forum as a \"missing link\" for regional
\ndialog.<\/p>\n
Jayakumar was joining ministers from 16 other countries in
\nthis seaside resort for discussions as part of the new Asia
\nCooperation Dialogue (ACD).<\/p>\n
The forum is aimed at boosting cooperation on the world's
\nlargest continent, but Jayakumar warned against setting
\nunrealistic goals at a gathering which has been criticized by
\nsome as unnecessary.<\/p>\n
\"The advantage of this initiative is that it meets a missing
\nlink between west Asia, the Gulf countries, south Asia, the
\nAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and east Asian
\ncooperation,\" Jayakumar told reporters on the sidelines of the
\nACD.<\/p>\n
\"At the same time, we must be careful not to be overambitious
\nand unrealistic,\" he said. \"The challenge is how this new group
\ncan be more than a talk shop.\"<\/p>\n
Urging officials from the member nations to combine their
\nresources and skills to pull the continent out of poverty and
\nconflict, Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who
\ninaugurated the ACD, said \"We must learn to trust, confide and
\nwork together for our mutual benefits, not viewing one another as
\ncompetitors.\"<\/p>\n
\"Asia is like a giant holding company with many diversified
\nentities... The uniqueness of each Asian entity when combined
\nbecomes an enormous asset for Asia as a whole,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Jayakumar said there was a consensus to start \"step-by-step\"
\nidentification of areas of cooperation including tourism, small-
\nmedium enterprises, and energy.<\/p>\n
A Thai government spokesman said before the meeting began that
\nthe forum would steer clear of contentious politics and focus on
\neconomics and social issues such as poverty alleviation.<\/p>\n
Indian Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha said it was important
\nthat the ACD step beyond the conventional regional groupings to
\navoid \"duplicating what is already being done\".<\/p>\n
\"We have various subregions in Asia and trans-regional
\ncooperation in Asia is something that would be new ground,\" he
\ntold reporters.<\/p>\n
Jayakumar also said ministers declined to set up an
\norganizational structure for the ACD.<\/p>\n
\"We don't want to overreach ourselves in having a big
\ninstitutional system or structure, but obviously there has to be
\nsome coordination and Thailand has agreed to (do it) for the
\nimmediate future.\"<\/p>\n
The 17 countries attending the ACD include ASEAN's Brunei,
\nCambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore
\nand Vietnam, along with China, Japan, South Korea, India,
\nPakistan, Bangladesh, Qatar and Bahrain.<\/p>\n
Myanmar, which has had strained border relations with
\nneighboring Thailand over the past month, declined to attend.<\/p>\n
It has already been agreed that the ACD members will not try
\nto douse the various conflicts in the region. This means the
\nburning border standoff between India and Pakistan, both of which
\nare represented at the forum, will not be raised, nor will
\nirritants between Malaysia and Singapore. Keeping Chinese
\nsensitivities in mind, Taiwan was not invited.<\/p>",
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