ASEAN finalizes 2020 economic vision
ASEAN finalizes 2020 economic vision
JAKARTA (JP): Economic ministers of the Association of
Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN) put the final touches to
recommendations for the grouping's economic vision for 2020
yesterday.
The ministers, in a one-day special meeting here, also agreed
to assist the group's upcoming new members -- Cambodia, Laos and
Myanmar -- to adopt the association's economic programs.
Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Production and
Distribution Hartarto said the meeting was part of preparations
for the leaders summit in Kuala Lumpur in December.
Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry Rafidah
Aziz said the results of yesterday's meeting would be presented
to the summit.
"We have finalized our recommendations for the economic
inputs. We now are able to perceive whatever we need to do,"
Rafidah told reporters after the meeting.
Hartarto and Rafidah said that the results of the meeting
would be discussed more extensively by the economic ministers at
another meeting in Kuala Lumpur in October.
A joint meeting between foreign ministers and economic
ministers will also be held to finalize the vision with the
inclusion of other aspects, such as political and development
cooperation.
No details were given on the vision. But a Ministry of
Industry and Trade source said a set of goals had been listed in
the vision report as vehicles to achieve an efficient Southeast
Asian economic region.
They included the realization of an ASEAN investment area by
2010, along with the promotion of a free investment flows by
2020.
Indonesia's director general for the national secretariat of
ASEAN, Raharjo Jamtomo, said the meeting did not discuss details.
"We talked about vision, what we imagine will happen in 2020
in fields such as trade, services, investment and others," he
said,
He added that the ASEAN vision for 2020 would focus on
economic cooperation.
The meeting was attended by ministers, mostly trade ministers,
from the group's seven members -- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia,
the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- and ASEAN
Secretary General Ajit Singh.
Representatives from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar were also
present at the meeting. The three countries would be admitted as
full members next month.
Rafidah said the presence of representatives from Cambodia,
Laos and Myanmar was needed to keep them suitably informed of any
economic developments within ASEAN.
Besides the vision, Rafidah said the ministers also agreed to
notify each other if their countries made any modification to
their tariff structures.
Such notification was necessary to avoid any unnecessary
losses on the part of other members as a result of sudden changes
in a country's tariff structure, she said. (rid)