ASEAN plans quiet EAEC luncheon in Bangkok

ASEAN plans quiet EAEC luncheon in Bangkok

TOKYO (AFP): ASEAN foreign ministers plan to invite Japan,
China and South Korea to an informal luncheon of prospective
members of a regional economic caucus in Bangkok next week, a
Japanese news agency reported yesterday.

Kyodo News Service said the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations wanted to keep the event low key given Japan's caution
towards the proposed East Asian Economic Caucus (EAEC), which is
strongly opposed by the United States.

The news agency quoted ASEAN sources in Bangkok as saying that
officials from the six-member group had agreed to invite the
Japanese, Chinese and South Korean foreign ministers to the
luncheon which will probably be held on Monday.

ASEAN -- grouping Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore and Thailand -- is holding its annual
meeting of foreign ministers in Bangkok this week. The meeting
will be followed by talks with the group's so-called dialogue
partners, including the United States and Japan.

Kyodo said the ASEAN officials agreed to the idea of a
luncheon between foreign ministers after deciding that an earlier
plan for an informal meeting of senior officials, backed by
Malaysia, would imply serious discussions.

The idea for a regional economic caucus excluding the United
States is based on a 1990 proposal by Malaysian Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad.

While Japan's Foreign Minister Yohei Kono is expected to visit
Bangkok for the annual meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers, a
spokeswoman said the Japanese foreign ministry had not yet
received an invitation for the luncheon.

Japan's Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama meanwhile adopted a
cautious stance towards the controversial proposal during talks
in Tokyo yesterday with visiting Malaysian International Trade
and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz.

"It is important to gain the understanding of other countries
including the United States," he was quoted as saying. Murayama
told her he expected that ASEAN countries would "continue to make
efforts to gain such understanding."

Rafidah was quoted as saying that Malaysia was still waiting
to know Japan's position towards the caucus.