Cambodian PM calls for increased cooperation in ASEAN, vows

Cambodian PM calls for increased cooperation in ASEAN, vows
stability

Jason Gutierrez
Agence France-Presse
Phnom Penh

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday called for
increased Southeast Asian economic integration and assured trade
ministers from the region his country is on the road to
stability.

In a speech to formally open an Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) economic ministers meeting here, Hun Sen said he
is confident of forming a new government following hotly
contested polls.

Cambodia is already moving to ease political infighting, Hun
Sen said, adding that he is confident of heading into a third
term despite his party lacking an outright majority in
parliament.

"With the national elections completed in good order, we in
Cambodia now need to renew and intensify our efforts to execute
our economic policy agenda," the premier said.

The three-day talks are expected to focus on work to speed up
the creation of the "ASEAN economic community", which was first
broached in a leader's summit Phnom Penh last year, officials
said.

The AEC is envisioned to be set up by 2020, forming a common
market of 530 million people where tariffs would be totally
eliminated and factors of production such as labor and capital
allowed to move freely across boundaries.

Hun Sen said that trade ministers have been studying proposals
and initiatives that would eventually lead to the realization of
the AEC.

"I personally believe that these are very important and
promising initiatives and we should all look forward to the
presentation of the findings and recommendations at the 9th ASEAN
Summit next month in Bali," the Cambodian leader told the trade
ministers.

He noted that ASEAN countries possess "immense potential" and
further integration of their economies could "maximize the
employment of resources and generate sustained benefits for our
people."

Cambodia's Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh said it was hoped
that the meetings here would "produce some substantial
deliverables" that would in turn be presented to ASEAN leaders
next month.

"Also in the next few days, we will be meeting with our
counterparts from our major trading partners including Australia,
China, India, Japan, (South) Korea and New Zealand to explore
ways and means to further deepen and strengthen existing economic
cooperation," he said.

ASEAN is developing Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with India,
Japan, South Korea and the United States, and working with China
to create the world's largest free trade zone within 10 years
covering 1.7 billion consumers.

Officials said the ASEAN ministers could also seek support
from the group's trade partners to forge a common position in the
upcoming World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial meetings in
Cancun, Mexico.

An Australian official on Monday said his country would use
the ASEAN talks here to build a consensus with Southeast Asian
nations on farm trade.

Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile said he would brief ASEAN
counterparts on his government's disappointment with a recent
joint United States-European Union position paper on agriculture
which will be a key part of the WTO negotiations.