Southwest Pacific Forum 'should not eclipse ASEAN'

JAKARTA (JP): Former minister of foreign affairs Ali Alatas has said that the establishment of the projected Southwest Pacific Forum should not in any way reduce the importance of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Speaking at a seminar titled Identifying Challenges and Opportunities in the West Pacific Region, Ali underlined on Tuesday that ASEAN should remain the cornerstone of Indonesia's foreign policy.

"The idea, if it should be translated into reality, must not diminish and should not be conceived as threatening in any way or degree for the paramount value and importance of ASEAN," Ali said in his address at the seminar.

"The possible establishment of a new forum should be based on rational consideration and objective that are in conformity with the particular geopolitical interest of the participating countries," he continue.

The senior diplomat also underlined that such cooperation should embrace economic and political cooperation, with economic and technical cooperation remaining the main objective of participating countries.

"Considering the economic cooperation, in a certain extent it has been taken by such forums as Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Asian Free Trade agreement," Ali contended.

President Abdurrahman Wahid suggested the establishment of the West Pacific Forum last year, saying it was necessary to have such a forum to deal with the increased separatist movements in the country and to accommodate the presence of the independent former province of East Timor.

Besides Indonesia, the President proposed that Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and East Timor should join the forum.

The two-day seminar is being held to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of forming such a forum in the region.

Ali asserted that Asia Pacific had become an important partner to ASEAN, and that five of nine dialog partner countries of the association are Pacific countries, while Papua New Guinea has been an observer of ASEAN for years.

However, he admitted that so far there was no forum that could anticipate problems that may emerge in the west pacific region or devise ways to reduce tension and confrontation among the countries.

In his opening speech, foreign minister Alwi Shihab mentioned reasons to establish the forum: the newly independent East Timor, increased separatist movements in the region, and economic devastation that has weaken the capability of the region.

"The Indonesian government is convinced that we can best achieve mutual cooperation in the region through a forum in which every country can contribute in finding ways and means to solve the problems and concerns that are besetting the entire region," Alwi said.

"The projected forum can also be expected to have a positive impact on the bilateral relations of the countries of the region in the context of promoting peace and security," Alwi said, addressing the seminar.

He further assured that the new forum would not diminish the country's commitment to ASEAN as it would remain the cornerstone of Indonesia's foreign policy. (dja)