Cambodia to apply for ASEAN seat this week

Cambodia to apply for ASEAN seat this week

PHNOM PENH (AFP): Cambodian Foreign Minister Ung Huot is to leave Phnom Penh for Jakarta tomorrow to deliver his country's formal application for full membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), foreign ministry officials said yesterday.

Ung Huot will present the application to Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas, also the chairman of the ASEAN steering committee, either tomorrow or Wednesday, according to Hor Sothuon, a foreign ministry spokesman.

"The main objective of his visit is to deliver the application for full membership in ASEAN," Hor Sothuon said.

Cambodia became an observer member of the regional economic grouping last year and hopes to be accepted as a full member in 1997.

Ung Huot's trip to Indonesia comes just over a month after a February visit to Phnom Penh of a senior ASEAN delegation which was sent to assess Cambodia's readiness for full membership.

While citing several concerns -- most notably a lack of trained personnel to fill bureaucratic positions the organization requires -- the delegation said it welcomed Cambodia's application for membership and would do what it could do to speed its entry.

Several ASEAN countries have already offered and begun training future Cambodian ASEAN employees in English-language, management and diplomacy courses.

In addition, several members of the delegation said they might be willing to consider waiving or reducing entry requirements, which include a substantial membership fee and the presence of diplomatic missions in all member countries.

But some diplomats and observers have cautioned that even with training assistance from ASEAN members and potentially reduced entry requirements, Cambodia might still not be able to be an effective full member of the group for several years.

"I'm not really sure if they know exactly what they are getting into and what full membership will entail," said one western diplomat. "It will be very expensive and I'm not sure the government can afford it at the moment."

But Cambodian officials are determined to proceed, saying the benefits of membership outweigh the monetary liabilities.

"The government's decision is to join by 1997," Hor Sothuon said.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Cambodia and Laos are currently observer members.

After presenting the application in Jakarta, Ung Huot is to travel to Thailand for official meetings with Thai Foreign Minister Kasem Kasemsri.