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.