Bangkok summit finds synergy

Bangkok summit finds synergy

By Riyadi and Meidyatama Suryodiningrat

BANGKOK (JP): Leaders from 25 Asian and European countries
began their historic summit yesterday finding that differences
remain between the two continents but that there was great
potential for synergy on many issues.

On the first day of their two-day summit, the leaders reviewed
economics, politics and also more controversial areas, including
the widely-debated issue of the World Trade Organization.

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas told
Indonesian journalists after the first day's session that the
leaders realized that there were matters on which they have
divergent views.

"But I don't see it as necessarily negative. Even in trade and
other economic cooperation matters there are certain issues on
which we do not fully see on eye to eye," Alatas said.

"It is a good thing to talk about these subjects on which we
hold divergent opinions."

He noted that there is a tremendous potential for synergy and
mutually beneficial cooperation between the two regions,
particularly in the economic field.

The summit, which was opened by Thai Prime Minister Banharn
Silpa-archa in the morning, is aimed at forging a new partnership
for better economic prosperity between the two continents.

Fifteen members of the European Union are represented at the
meeting: They are Austrian Chancellor Franz Vranitzky, Belgian
Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene, British Prime Minister John
Major, Finish Prime Minister Tapio Lipponen, French President
Jacques Chirac, Danish Foreign Minister Niels Helveg Petersen;
German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Greek Deputy Foreign Minister
George Romeos; Irish Prime Minister John Bruton, Italian Prime
Minister Lamberto Dini, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude
Juncker, Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok and Portuguese Prime
Minister Antonio Guterres, Spanish Foreign Minister Carlos
Westendorp and Swedish Foreign Minister Lena Hjelm-Wallen.

The 10 Asian leaders taking part are Brunei's Sultan Hassanal
Bolkiah, Chinese Premier Li Peng, Indonesia's President Soeharto,
Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, South Korean President
Kim Young-sam, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad,
Philippine President Fidel Ramos, Singaporean Prime Minister Goh
Chok Tong, Thai Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-Archa and Vietnamese
Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet.

Also attending is the European Commission President Jacques
Santer.

Alatas stressed that the inaugural summit is informal in
nature and follows a pattern which has proven to be successful in
the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"It is our experience with ASEAN and APEC, and when we are
less formal, there is a kind of chemistry between these leaders
and usually they produce very good results," Alatas said.

In trade, the leaders discussed measures to open up each
other's market by further bringing down both tariff and non-
tariff barriers, within the framework of the World Trade
Organization (WTO).

In investment, most leaders supported Thailand's proposal on
establishing an Asia-Europe investment action plan to promote
investment between the two regions.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres said one of the
highly debated issues was on the important WTO meeting to be held
later this year in Singapore.

He said that it was important to discuss and establish not
only free trade but also fair trade.

"In Singapore we should not only discuss trade, investment and
technology, but also conditions on fair trade related to the
environment and to human and social rights," he told reporters.

The Vice-President of European Commission Leon Brittan, who is
also responsible for trade, said among the important points was
the discussion of unfinished matters left over from the Uruguay
Round talks on free trade such as tackling the telecommunications
sector.

On politics, Europe expressed interest in helping secure peace
in Asia, and on the other side Asia is also interested in helping
with the peace and stabilization in former Yugoslavia.

As their leaders were meeting, economic and foreign ministers
from Asia and Europe also met quite informally yesterday and will
hold another meeting this morning.

Later today the leaders will hold another discussion after
which they will be joined by their ministers in a wrap-up
session.

Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa will issue a final
statement as chairman of the meeting at the closing ceremony.

West -- Page 4

Investment -- Page 9

Asia -- Page 11