Japan, ASEAN to meet Tuesday on Koizumi partnership idea

Japan, ASEAN to meet Tuesday on Koizumi partnership idea

Dow Jones, Tokyo

Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
will hold a meeting Tuesday in Bangkok to discuss how to realize
the Initiative for Japan-ASEAN Comprehensive Economic Partnership
proposed by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi earlier
this month, officials of both sides said Saturday, Kyodo News
reported.

"We will exchange views how Japan and ASEAN can develop closer
economic relations, particularly in trade and investment, the
core of the Koizumi initiative. Our talks will cover a possible
free trade agreement between Japan and ASEAN," said an official
of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

"Concrete measures will be written in the report that will be
submitted to the annual Japan-ASEAN summit meeting to be held in
Cambodia in November," the official said, Kyodo reported.

According to the official, Japan will send METI, Foreign
Ministry and Finance Ministry experts to Bangkok to participate
in the first meeting.

The team will be headed by Hidetaka Saeki, deputy director
general of METI's Trade Policy Bureau.

The official said an official at the Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries Ministry may attend the meeting as an observer as "the
ASEAN side will likely raise a very sensitive issue for Japan,
namely liberalization of the agricultural market."

ASEAN will be represented by senior economic officials from
each member country and from the Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat,
according to the official.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

A Thai official said officials from the ASEAN side will hold
intensive discussions among themselves Monday to consolidate
their positions ahead of the meeting with Japan.

"The Working Group on Regional Integration will discuss how to
enhance ASEAN's economic partnership with neighboring countries,
particularly Japan, China, India and Australia and New Zealand,"
the Thai official said.

According to another METI official, the first meeting between
Japan and ASEAN is expected to set up small expert groups in such
fields as trade, investment and economic cooperation, and to
consider how the views of academics should be reflected in the
report.

"After having a few more meetings, I expect we will be able to
finalize the report," the official said.

On the sidelines of the first meeting, Japan and Thailand will
hold talks on a bilateral free-trade agreement that Thai Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has proposed to the second biggest
market for Thai exports, according to officials of both
governments.

The Japanese premier unveiled his policy toward Southeast Asia
in a speech in Singapore in early January at the end of his five-
nation-visit to the region in early January.

"We must strengthen broad-ranged economic partnership by
stretching further than trade and investment -- to such areas as
science and technology, human resource development and tourism,"
Koizumi said then in explaining the initiative. "I would like to
see us generate concrete proposals for endorsement at the Japan-
ASEAN Summit Meeting."