Asia-Europe summit

Asia-Europe summit

The meeting of the heads of government from 10 East Asian and 15 European countries in Bangkok tomorrow should be historic not only because it is the first, but also because such summits usually create a momentum for cooperation. It could all be for naught, however, if the participants succumb to the temptation of crowding the meeting with too ambitious an agenda.

Fortunately, the leaders of the seven countries in ASEAN, along with Japan, China, South Korea and the 15 countries of the European union, seem to fully realize the danger of attempting too much. The officials in charge of preparing the summit assure the meeting will zero in on the issues of greatest interests to both Asia and Europe. Economic and trade relations are the most important issues and, at the same time, are the most likely to cause disputes between nations.

Economic cooperation was the motivation behind forming an Asia-Europe forum, an idea first conceptualized in 1994. The first summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Seattle in November, 1993, prompted the European Union to devise what it called a new Asia Strategy in mid-1994. The accelerated process of cooperation within APEC seemed to push home to the EU that Europe might be left entirely out of Asia -- the most dynamic economic region -- if it did not reshape its Asia policy.

Of the three regional economic growth centers, Asia has outperformed both Europe and North America. To continue this growth Asia and Europe need some form of networking to forge stronger economic linkages.

It is imperative that the inaugural summit is designed to lay the groundwork and set the tone for senior officials to work out specific policies later. All parties first need to agree on priority areas of cooperation. Contentious issues like human rights, workers rights, the environment and other matters not directly related to trade should be excluded from the main debate.

The APEC cooperation process charged ahead after the first summit mainly because the participating countries put aside contentious political and ideological differences and built on their common economic interests, thereby enhancing rapport.

The participants of the Asia-Europe summit are equally diverse, so it is not rational to expect concrete results in specific areas after just one meeting. APEC took four years to decide to hold its leaders meeting annually.

Settling how to follow up decisions made by the heads of government should be the aim of the Asia-Europe summit tomorrow. Such a mechanism will guarantee that cooperation between Asia and Europe will continue.