ASEAN officials to meet in Bali

ASEAN officials to meet in Bali

JAKARTA (JP): Senior officials of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) are scheduled to meet in Bali next week to
discuss the development and utilization of industrial minerals in
the region.

Establishing an ASEAN minerals database and exchanging
information on minerals and environmental legislation policies
and regulations are high on the agenda of the Senior Official
Meeting (SOM), which will be held in Bali from Oct. 22 to Oct.
24.

Action programs for 1996 to 1998, and mechanisms for the
formulation and implementation of cooperation programs will also
be discussed at the meeting.

Each delegation is expected to deliver a "country statement"
which will include guidelines for improving cooperation between
ASEAN members in industrial minerals trade and investment
activities.

National priorities and policies for the development and
utilization of mineral resources, and legal aspects of foreign
investment in the mining sector will also be discussed.

Previous ASEAN working party discussions on minerals
cooperation concluded that each ASEAN government needed to make
clear and attractive regulations and procedures to increase
investor confidence.

ASEAN cooperation on mineral development began 15 years ago
but progress has not been as fast as expected.

The organizing committee said the slow progress towards
cooperation in the minerals sector was due to the lack of
authority given to senior officials in charge of minerals. (hen)