ASEAN issues 53-point communique

ASEAN issues 53-point communique

JAKARTA (JP): The foreign ministers of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations yesterday issued a 53-point communique
which stressed the regional grouping's plans for expanded
cooperation as well as its security concerns, including in the
South China Sea.

Key passages of the joint communique adopted at the end of
ASEAN's 29th annual ministerial meeting:

* Ministers accepted applications of Cambodia and Laos to join
in 1997 and granted observer status to Burma. "Thereby, the
vision of ASEAN's founders of all ten Southeast Asian countries
living in harmony under a single roof came closer to
realization."

* ASEAN welcomed China, India and Russia as new dialogue
partners.

Regional security

* Ministers expressed satisfaction at development of the ASEAN
Regional Forum and "took cognizance of the increasing degree of
comfort in the interactions among the ARF participants. ...
Conscious of the increasingly significant role of the ARF in the
maintenance of peace and stability in the region, the Ministers
reiterated that ASEAN should continue to be the driving force of
this forum."

* ASEAN noted progress to date in implementing a Zone of
Peace, Freedom and Neutrality in the region. Ministers "stressed
the importance of expediting the process of ratification of the
(Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone) Treaty by the signatory
states so that it will be completed, if possible, before the
informal ASEAN summit in Indonesia in December 1996.
"For the effectiveness of the Treaty, they reiterated their call
on all nuclear weapons states to extend their cooperation by
acceding to the Protocol of the Treaty. ... They also agreed to
consider tabling a draft resolution on the SEANWFZ Treaty in the
United Nations General Assembly at an appropriate time."

* While the Asia Pacific region was "relatively stable and
peaceful ... they acknowledged that tensions exist in the region
as well as in other parts of the world in the face of
longstanding disputes which, if not successfully managed, could
erupt into conflicts that could threaten regional as well as
international stability."

* "The Foreign Ministers expressed their concern over the
situation in the South China Sea, and stressed that several
outstanding issues remain a major concern for ASEAN. ... The
Ministers called for the peaceful resolution of the dispute and
self-restraint by parties concerned. ... They endorsed the idea
of concluding a regional code of conduct in the South China Sea
which will lay the foundation for long term stability in the area
and foster understanding among claimant countries."

* "The Foreign Ministers stressed the importance of freedom of
navigation and aviation in the South China Sea."

* Ministers reiterated their belief that resumption of
dialogue between North and South Korea "was extremely important
for peace and security on the Korean Peninsula." They called for
a peace mechanism but emphasized that the 1953 Armistice
Agreement should remain valid until then.

Other regions

* ASEAN welcomed progress in the Middle East but "viewed with
concern the current critical phase of the Middle East peace
process following the recent general elections in Israel."

* ASEAN welcomed peace agreements on former Yugoslavia and
called on all parties to cooperate with the International
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. "The Ministers supported the
international call for the arrest of those who have been indicted
for war crimes, and their removal from Bosnia-Herzegovina as an
important condition for the full implementation of the Dayton
Peace Accord." They called for international support for the
reconstruction and development of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Int'l agreement

* ASEAN "called on the nuclear weapons states to refrain from
conducting nuclear weapons tests and the Conference on
Disarmament to conclude the negotiation on the Comprehensive Test
Ban Treaty in 1996."

* ASEAN "reiterated the importance of reforming and
restructuring the United Nations, including the Security Council,
so as to democratize its workings and to strengthen its
effectiveness. ... They reaffirmed the role of the General
Assembly as the highest deliberative and decision-making organ of
the UN system...." Ministers called for "greater accountability
by the Council to the General Assembly."

* Ministers noted the "still sizable numbers of remaining boat
people in some first asylum countries who have not been
repatriated or resettled, thus requiring further common efforts
and cooperation for their immediate repatriation."

Economic cooperation

* Ministers noted "the substantial progress made in the
negotiations to liberalize trade in unprocessed agricultural
products and welcomed the decision to phase in these products
into the CEPT (Common Effective Preferential Tariff) Scheme by
the year 2010."

* They called for "continued efforts to reduce the impediments
to trade and investment in ASEAN." They noted that customs
surcharges affecting identified CEPT products would be removed by
1996 and that establishment of a Green Lane system for CEPT
products would expedite customs clearance.

* "The Foreign Ministers called for the active participation
of the private sector in ASEAN economic programs and
activities.... They encouraged the private sector to come up with
specific proposals...."

* Ministers welcomed progress in establishing trade and
investment linkages between AFTA and the Australia-New Zealand
Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement (ANZCERTA) and
"encouraged such linkages with other regional groupings and
trading arrangements."

WTO, EAEC, APEC

* ASEAN reaffirmed its commitment to ensure "a substantial
outcome" at the WTO conference in Singapore in December.

* ASEAN "should oppose any attempt to include issues which
were not trade-related, such as corruption and social clause....
The Ministers noted that other issues, such as competition
policy, may not be mature enough for inclusion...."

* ASEAN ministers "reiterated their commitment toward the
early realization of the East Asia Economic Caucus (EAEC) which
will intensify economic cooperation that is mutually beneficial
to its members. In this regard they were happy to note the
increasing acceptance of the concept and the rationale for the
establishment of such a caucus among the countries of the
region."

* Ministers "expressed full support for Vietnam's request for
admission into APEC when the moratorium on new membership in APEC
is lifted."

Functional cooperation

* Ministers agreed to "explore the possibility of establishing
an ASEAN Satellite Channel which would enable ASEAN to present
its views and culture more effectively to the world."

* They "expressed serious concern ... that attempts to link
international labor standards and international trade would
undermine the economic growth of developing countries which in
turn would affect the economy of developed nations. They
reiterated the view that the issue of international labor
standards should be discussed in the ILO and not in other non-
labor related fora."

Trans-national issues

* Ministers agreed to "focus attention on such issues as
narcotics, economic crimes, including money laundering,
environment and illegal migration which transcend borders and
affect the lives of the people in the region" and to submit
recommendations to a summit.

External Relations

* The first Asia-Europe summit, held in Bangkok in March,
"ushered in a new era in relations between Asia and Europe....
The Ministers agreed to work closely to ensure that ASEAN
continues to play a central role in the evolution of ASEM and the
implementation of follow-up actions...."

* Ministers welcomed the initiative of South Korean President
Kim Young Sam leading to an ASEAN-ROK Eminent Persons Group.

Mekong Basin

* Ministers concurred with the decision to open participation
in Mekong Basin development to "countries, other than the core
group, which are currently engaged in development cooperation on
a bilateral or multilateral basis in the Mekong Basin or have
expressed interest in the ASEAN Mekong Basin Development
Cooperation and to international and regional institutions which
are interested or engaged in assisting development of the area."

* They called for appropriate modalities for funding.

* They agreed to an annual ministerial meeting to be held back
to back with the joint ASEAN foreign and economic ministers ahead
of the ASEAN summit.

Sectoral relations

* On ASEAN-Pakistan relations, ministers noted a move to form
the ASEAN-Pakistan Business Council and called for further
strengthening of sectoral dialogue relations as well as for
linkages and cooperation with other regional organizations
"mindful of the limited resources and means available."