ASEAN supports Vietnam for APEC

JAKARTA (JP): ASEAN states are giving fellow member Vietnam an approving nod in its bid to win support to join the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

Delegates at the opening day of a two-day senior officials meeting yesterday said that member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have generally given their support to Vietnam's intention to join APEC.

Indonesia's Director General for ASEAN Rahardjo Djamtomo told journalists that the inclination towards support is evident.

He said that the move was a "show of support" for a fellow member.

Nevertheless, Djamtomo would not say whether ASEAN would issue a statement to proclaim its support or if it would be contained in the joint communique issued during Saturday's ASEAN Ministerial Meeting.

Six of ASEAN's seven members -- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand -- are already members of APEC. Besides the six countries, APEC also groups 12 other Pacific rim countries -- including China, Japan, South Korea and the United States -- with the aim of creating a comprehensive trade liberalization regime in the Asia Pacific region by 2020.

The top Vietnamese delegate at the senior officials meeting, Vu Khoan, also expressed confidence that all ASEAN countries would support Vietnam's entry into the forum.

"I'm sure it will be in the joint communique," he said, adding that Hanoi has already submitted an application for APEC membership.

Separately, the director general for political affairs at the Indonesian foreign ministry, Izhar Ibrahim, further confirmed ASEAN's support.

"As individuals in ASEAN, we have no problem. We support them," said Izhar, who chaired yesterday's meeting.

Nevertheless, when pressed over whether the support will be included within the joint communique of the ASEAN ministerial meeting here at the end of the week, Izhar was more cautious, saying that "it is being considered".

The official support of ASEAN is expected to go a long way in easing APEC's self-imposed moratorium on new members. Hanoi's application is likely to be discussed at the next APEC leaders meeting in Manila later this year.

Khoan said that the major obstacle facing Vietnam is the fact that APEC has set up a moratorium against accepting new members.

In the end, he said, "this (the membership), of course, depends on the decision of APEC, not ASEAN." (mds)