ASEAN countries meet to discuss tough issues

ASEAN countries meet to discuss tough issues

MANILA (DPA): Top Southeast Asian officials and their major
trading partners gathered in Manila yesterday in hopes of
mitigating the region's economic crisis, averting further nuclear
tests and promoting an honest election in Cambodia.

Moves to motivate Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) countries to criticize each other, cooperate in curbing
transnational crimes and environmental havoc round out the top
issues confronting the 31st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and
accompanying sessions from July 21-29.

"The present financial crisis will have a profound effect not
only on Asian economies, but on global economic growth as well,"
predicted Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Domingo Siazon.

With Japan's weak yen elevating the regional contagion to a
global concern, the nine ASEAN members were expected to call on
the Group of Seven (G-7) industrialized countries for more help.

The crisis has ravaged many Asian currencies, prompted the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) to dish out more than 100
billion dollars in rescue funds. It has left millions jobless and
reduced the capability of governments to provide basic services.

The nine-day conference begins with a meeting of ASEAN senior
officials July 21-22, followed by the ministerial meeting July
24-25, the ASEAN Regional Forum July 27 and the post ministerial
conference July 28-29.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. Its dialogue
partners include the United States, the European Union, Japan,
Russia, Australia, Canada, China, India, South Korea, New
Zealand, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea.

With a parliamentary election scheduled in Cambodia for July
26, ASEAN diplomats have said free, fair and credible polls there
will speed up the country's admission into the regional grouping.

ASEAN wants to issue a strong statement condemning the series
of nuclear tests carried out by India and Pakistan earlier this
year. On the eve of the talks, however, India launched another
campaign to convince members to tone down the proposal.

"One or two ASEAN countries do not want to specifically
mention India and Pakistan," said a high-ranking foreign affairs
official.

In a switch from ASEAN's usual practice of refraining from
naming countries, the text calls on India and Pakistan to resolve
their dispute "through peaceful dialogue" and urges both nations
to sign the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and
the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban treaty "without delay".

Baja said he has asked the Pakistani ambassador to the
Philippines to be ready in case the ASEAN foreign ministers agree
to a proposal from Japan for Pakistan's presence. Pakistan is not
a dialog partner.

The idea of "agreeing to disagree" has touched off so much
rancor the proposal may not even make it to the formal agenda,
said sources close to the talks.

While the Philippines and Thailand maintain ASEAN is mature
enough to abolish its so-called non-interference policy, Myanmar
and Indonesia fiercely oppose any change weakening the taboo on
intervention and interference in each other's affairs.