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.