ASEAN ministers wrap up retreat

ASEAN ministers wrap up retreat

Ben Rowse, Agence France-Presse, Halong Bay, Vietnam

Southeast Asian foreign ministers wrapped up their retreat in
Vietnam on Friday following talks on strengthening regional ties
and resolving a spat with the European Union (EU) over Myanmar.

After a lengthy meeting that ended late Thursday, the
ministers and representatives of the 10-member ASEAN bloc were
given a chance to relax with a boat trip around Halong Bay's
spectacular 3,000 towering limestone islets.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda, speaking in his
capacity as the chair of the annual retreat, said Thursday's
five-hour talks had been productive.

"As usual at an ASEAN foreign ministers' retreat, we were able
to discuss matters of common concern in a very frank and open
manner," he told reporters.

An ASEAN security community, which was one of three "pillars"
included in the Bali Concord II endorsed last October at the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, was among
the topics discussed, he said.

Together with the creation of similar economic and socio-
cultural communities, the concord lays the foundations for the
creation of an ASEAN Community by 2020.

The ministers also discussed the deteriorating situation in
Iraq, the North Korean nuclear crisis and the mounting war of
words between bitter rivals Taiwan and China ahead of this
month's Taiwanese presidential elections.

"We emphasize the need to avoid any actions (across the Taiwan
strait) that may further exacerbate the situation," Hassan said
on late Thursday, adding that the ministers had reaffirmed their
common one-China stance.

However, the most sensitive discussions centered on the Asia-
Europe Meeting (ASEM) which is scheduled to be held in Hanoi in
October.

ASEAN wants its newer members -- Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar --
to be included in the biennial summit in return for the
participation of the 10 European Union candidate countries. The
EU, however, is opposed to Myanmar's involvement unless the human
rights situation there rapidly improves.

"The Asian position is very clear. It's not just an ASEAN
position," said Singapore's Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar.

"On the European side there are 10 new members, so our
position is that 10 new members from Europe be admitted and three
new members from Asia."

His comments were echoed by Hassan. "We did agree ... that no
political conditions be attached on their admission to ASEM," he
said.

Last month, Indonesia proposed a regional peacekeeping force
at a meeting of senior ASEAN officials in Jakarta preparing for
the Halong Bay retreat.

Other ideas presented at the Jakarta meeting included a non-
aggression treaty, an extradition treaty, a convention on
counter-terrorism and an arms register.

Jayakumar, however, voiced reservations. "Singapore's view is
that for the time being the peacekeeping force idea is probably
not the right time now, precisely because ASEAN is not a security
or defense organization," he said.

"Perhaps sometime in the future there might be scope for such
an organization."