EU resists ASEAN's calls on Bosnia, nuclear test

By Oei Eng Goan

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (JP): The calls made by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the cessation of nuclear tests and the lifting of the arms embargo imposed on Bosnia were resisted by some of its dialog partners at the Post Ministerial Conference (PMC) held yesterday.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's appeal to participants at the meeting to join ASEAN's stance on Bosnia- Herzegovina was rejected by Spain, who represented the European Union (EU) at the meeting.

Addressing the statement yesterday, Badawi reiterated the joint-statement issued by foreign ministers of the seven ASEAN countries, which called for international support to stop the continuing aggression of the safe areas, as well as ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Bosnian people by the Serbs.

The statement, which also includes a call for an immediate lifting of the arms embargo imposed on the Bosnian government, was issued last Friday, a day prior to the opening of the 28th annual ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Brunei's capital.

But Spanish Foreign Minister Javier Solana told journalists after attending the PMC that the lifting of the arms embargo was not the only appropriate solution to the Bosnian problem and that relaxation of the arms embargo could only be carried out through a United Nations decision.

"In any case, we do think lifting the arms embargo should be a decision of the UN, not a unilateral decision of a certain country," Solana stated.

Saying that the UN's dignity had been trampled upon by the Serbs, Badawi told the meeting that Malaysia's request to increase its peacekeeping troops operating under the United Nations Protection Forces in Bosnia (UNPROFOR) was refused, conflicting with the UN statement that UNPROFOR did not have a sufficient number of personnel and equipment.

Of all the members in ASEAN -- which groups Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- the Kuala Lumpur government is considered as the most defiant against the embargo on Bosnia. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad even suggested last month that Malaysia would be willing to sell weapons to Bosnia, so that the Bosnian people could defend themselves against atrocities committed by the Serbs.

Another dissension between the regional grouping and its Western dialog partners during the meeting was the violation of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) by some signatory countries.

But France, which has planned to resume a series of tests on Murorua islands in the South Pacific starting next month, said yesterday that it wanted to secure the reliability of its nuclear armament, which was important for stability in Europe.

"It's in the interest of the European region, because nuclear defense forces promote European stability," French Minister for EU Affairs Michel Bariner said.

"We understand the feeling and the concern (of ASEAN members), but we are here to answer them," Bariner said, adding that ASEAN members should also understand France's sovereignty and rights over the region which it will use for testing its nuclear capability.

Concerns were also shown by other countries attending the PMC, including Australia, which is one of ASEAN dialog partners. The other partners are the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and all 15 members of the European Union.

Australia's Foreign Minister Gareth Evans said that his country deplored the violations of the NPT, saying that "these actions have betrayed the trusts of many countries. Moreover, continued nuclear testing represents a potential threat to negotiations for a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which are entering a crucial stage in Geneva," Evans said.

The two-day PMC meeting ended yesterday afternoon and will be followed by a joint press conference.