APEC not forum to achieve unilateral benefits
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia does not want the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to become a forum through which certain countries can fulfill their ambitions of obtaining unilateral benefits after failing to achieve this at the recently concluded Uruguay Round of trade negotiations.
Minister of Trade Satrio B. Joedono told reporters after meeting with President Soeharto here yesterday said that APEC, on the contrary, should be a forum where countries with advanced economies and those with developing economies can cooperate to improve their overall economic well being.
Joedono was commenting on the new problems which he said had emerged following the signing of the Final Act of the general Agreement of Tariffs and Trade in Marrakesh, Morocco.
He said the problems -- which he referred to as "new forms of protectionist measures" -- were mainly caused by the intention of several industrialized countries to include non-trade issues in the global trade rules.
"Cooperation will encourage developing economies to grow faster and will narrow the widening gap between the rich and poor countries. This will promote keener competitiveness," he said.
Joedono, who was accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Industry and Trade Hartarto and Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, pointed out that before such a state of equilibrium could be achieved, there would be no use talking about free trade in the region, since that would only encourage unbalanced trade.
"APEC should not immediately be turned into a free-trade zone because a certain period for cooperation is required to gradually develop the member countries before they finally reach a high level of competitiveness, allowing free trade to proceed," he said.
Commenting on the Marrakesh meeting, which he attended, Joedono explained that Indonesia has five years -- or until 1997 -- to adjust its regulations that require foreign investors to utilize local products.
"Indonesia and several other countries have yet to remove their regulations which are not in line with the new GATT rules," he said.
Rights
In the implementation of international intellectual property rights -- concerning copyrights, patents, trademarks, design rights and the right of trade secrecy -- Joedono said it was agreed that all signatories would adjust their respective regulations to the international norms.
"For the protection of copyrights, countries must abide by the Bern Convention, for industrial design patents the Paris Convention and for the integrated circuits patent the Washington Treaty," he said.
Indonesia's copyright and trademark regulations have caused disputes with leading international brand producers because Indonesia recognizes the first company to register a particular trademark at the Indonesian trademark office as holding the rights to the brand in Indonesia. (10)