ASEAN to map out 2020 economic vision

JAKARTA (JP): Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have agreed to map out an "ASEAN vision for the year 2020", a guideline for direction beyond the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) in 2003.

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas announced Saturday that during the one-day informal summit, the ASEAN leaders agreed to assign their ministers to the task of developing an ASEAN vision for 2020.

The ministers were asked to submit their report to the Second Informal Summit which will be held in Malaysia next year, concurrently with the celebration of ASEAN's 30th anniversary.

The heads of government exchanged views on the proposed ASEAN vision beyond 2003. Since by that time the ASEAN Free Trade Area would have come into being, they requested the Ministers to develop an ASEAN vision toward 2020, Alatas said.

Formed in 1967, ASEAN comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Saturday's informal meeting was attended by Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesian President Soeharto, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos, Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, Thailand Deputy Prime Minister Amnuay Viravan and Vietnam Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet.

Joining the ASEAN leaders in another session Saturday afternoon were Cambodia's First Prime Minister Norodom Ranariddh and Second Prime Minister Hun Sen, Laotian Prime Minister Khamtay Siphandone and Myanmar's Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Gen. Than Shwe.

Alatas said the development of an ASEAN vision 2020 reflects one of ASEAN's strengths which is its ability to "collectively think ahead".

"After achieving AFTA in 2003, ASEAN joins the APEC stream which sets 2010 and 2020 as its targets... After that, then what?" Alatas announced at the end of the summit.

AFTA aims at lowering tariffs in ASEAN to a level of zero to 5 percent by the year 2003. Several members, including Singapore and Malaysia, have proposed an earlier date of 2000.

The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum -- six ASEAN members and 12 other economies -- has set 2010 as the target date for developed members and 2020 for developing economies to achieve free trade in the region.

Alatas said ASEAN vision 2020 is expected to keep ASEAN "ahead of development".

"ASEAN should be part of a larger scheme, such as the trade and investment liberalization and facilitation measures under APEC," Alatas said.

Among the proposals the ministers will study for vision 2020 is the idea of creating an ASEAN common investment area.

"Hopefully at the next informal summit, there will be developments on this area," he said.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said the vision is needed because ASEAN must look into the future to determine what it will be doing.

"We must have a vision, a target. We must work towards some objective and it is good for us to work towards what we think ASEAN should be by 2020," he said.

ASEAN Secretary General Ajit Singh said that after the Second Informal Summit in Malaysia, ASEAN members will start "putting flesh and bones" on the vision.

"At the moment it is just a thought," he said, adding that the vision would include fixing time frames and targets. (pwn)