ASEAN urged to join opposition against French nuclear tests

ASEAN urged to join opposition against French nuclear tests

CANBERRA (Reuter): Support is growing for a resolution at next week's ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting condemning France's planned resumption of nuclear tests in the South Pacific.

Canadian and Australian foreign ministers, whose countries are ARF members, strongly backed such a resolution yesterday, but Australia's Gareth Evans warned that China and European representatives might resist.

"With China being one of the participants in the process and with others there from Europe... it may not be easy to get that result," Evans told reporters in Canberra after meeting his Canadian counterpart, Andre Ouellet.

The ARF, formed to discuss regional security issues, convenes next week as part of a round of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings underway in Brunei.

European representatives will have observer status or will be "semi-participants" at the ARF meeting, Evans said.

Ouellet said a resolution should be passed. "We've looked at the tentative resolution and we hope that the resolution will be accepted by all the participants," he told reporters.

"We are hoping that France will review this decision and we are determined to work with others in trying to influence all countries to adhere to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty that should be signed and implemented in 1996," he said.

A spokeswoman for Evans said Australia would lobby other countries in the 18-member ARF for their support.

"It would be very helpful if we could come out of the forum not only with a discussion on a statement of concern about the continuation of nuclear tests in the Pacific, but a very strong affirmation of the need for an immediate negotiation of a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty," Evans said.

ASEAN comprises Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Vietnam became ASEAN's seventh member yesterday.

ASEAN foreign ministers and their counterparts from ASEAN's 12 dialog partners will hold meetings on Tuesday.

Dialog partners include the United States, China, Russia, the European Union, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.

Australian officials said it was unclear whether the resolution would single out France or also target China, which still carries out underground nuclear tests.