'Australia could join ASEAN'

'Australia could join ASEAN'

CANBERRA (Reuter): Australia and New Zealand could one day join the seven-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said in a newspaper interview published yesterday.

"We see Australia playing an important role (in ASEAN) and certainly we would like to encourage Australia to do so," Goh was quoted as saying in an interview with The Australian Financial Review newspaper.

"If you asked me now is it possible that Australia and New Zealand may one day join ASEAN, I would say that both countries are small enough to be considered as possible members one of these days," Goh said.

The Financial Review said Goh had described the idea of Australia and New Zealand's potential membership of ASEAN was "thinkable" and that it was one for "debate".

Philippines President Fidel Ramos said in August last year that Australia could join ASEAN, but that it needed to be considered very carefully.