Don't write us off, ASEAN warns the world
Don't write us off, ASEAN warns the world
By Kornelius Purba and Meidyatama Suryodiningrat
HANOI (JP): ASEAN leaders sent a clear message to the world here on Tuesday, pledging to come out of their summit as a stronger grouping by taking concerted economic and social steps to address the regional crisis.
The nine leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) stressed at the opening ceremony of their two-day summit that the regional grouping would emerge from this meeting with greater cooperative vigor in all areas.
"I am sure that the detractors of ASEAN do not realize this," Indonesian President B.J. Habibie said.
"And I doubt that the friends and supporters of ASEAN are not fully aware that there is hardly an aspect of human life and human development not touched by our endeavors," he added.
Habibie was the second leader to address the opening ceremony following Brunei's Hassanal Bolkiah.
Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai said that the crisis had "somewhat" eroded the grouping's confidence.
"It has raised doubts and questions about whether ASEAN can regain its vibrancy and vitality. Some have gone so far as to write us off." he said.
"So the task falls upon us here at this Summit to prove our critics wrong and help chart the way forward for ASEAN's recovery and renewal," Chuan said during the opening ceremony at the Ba Dinh hall.
"As long as we are able to redouble our efforts toward closer economic integration and seek to go at least one step beyond our pledged commitment, we will create a synergy capable of propelling ASEAN back to normality," Chuan added.
Similarly, Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong called for liberalization "beyond the expectation of the market" in financial services, information technology and civil aviation.
"If we cannot convince the world that we are united in our determination to repair our economies, it could lead the major powers to turn away from Southeast Asia," Goh added.
The current triennial formal summit comes at a time when the grouping is at its lowest ebb as a result of the economic crisis.
Other leaders attending the summit are Filipino President Joseph Estrada, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Brunei's Hassanal Bolkiah, Laotian Prime Minister Sisavat Keobounphanh and Myanmar's Senior General Than Shwe.
The collapse of the Thai baht in mid-1997 sparked a contagion effect which saw Southeast Asian currencies and markets tumble.
The economies of ASEAN members Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand continue to be hit by recession while Brunei, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam have also suffered from the fallout.
All the leaders expressed their commitment to further economic liberalization through tariff reductions and to attract investors through various incentive schemes.
Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam said during a press briefing later in the afternoon that leaders had given the green light to accelerate the ASEAN Free Trade Area deadline from 2003 to 2002.
He said ASEAN leaders also looked at ways to increase and manage short-term capital flows and discussed the likelihood of a common currency.
They agreed that extensive studies should be conducted on a common currency and establish it as a long-term goal. As it may take sometime before the idea comes to fruition, the leaders said that in the meantime they would intensify the use of domestic ASEAN currencies for intra-ASEAN trade.
After the close of the summit on Wednesday, the leaders will also hold meetings with Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao, Korean President Kim Dae Jung and Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.
The meeting with Obuchi will be of particular economic interest as ASEAN leaders would like to hear at first hand how Japan intends to channel the some US$40 billion in aid programs it has pledged to help the region's battered economies.