[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
Asean-EU meet to discuss on Myanmar
Subject: Asean-EU meet to discuss on Myanmar (14/2/97)
Asean-EU meet to discuss Myanmar
The Hindu (New Delhi)
14/2/97
>From V. Jayanth
SINGAPORE, Feb. 13.
Foreign Ministers of Southeast Asia (Asean) and the European Union (EU)
today began two days of intensive consultations on strengthening economic
co-operation and deepening Political dialogue, including sensitive issues
like human rights.
After an informal session last night, the Ministers agreed that even
contentious issues such as Myanmar and human rights could be discussed.
These must be on the basis of "equality and mutual respect for each
other's sovereignty."
Members of the EU drove home the point that when differences surfaced,
"both sides should be mindful that the aim of the dialogue is to enhance
mutual understanding and foster greater co-operation and friendship."
Included in the agenda were political and security issues such as the
expansion of Asean to include Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, as also the
European Union, the developments in Bosnia and the West Asia peace process.
Setting the tone for the informal group-to-group discussions that
followed, Mr. Hans van Mierlo, Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister of the
Netherlands (which holds the EU presidency), said Asean-EU relations had
matured to a point when even differences could be discussed "openly and
in the spirit of searching for a compromise."
He said there were bound to be issues on which the two sides disagreed,
but those very issues could still be discussed to rind broad agreement.
"We must look at the past, be mindful of the present and continue to
focus on the future," Mr. Hans Mierlo noted.
Between the last dialogue session in Germany in 1994 and this meeting, he
said Vietnam had joined Asean and Austria, Finland and Sweden joined the
EU, Further enlargement was also on the cards. In his inaugural address
to the meeting, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister, Brig. Gen. Lee Hsien
Loong, said Asean was already the fourth largest trading entity in the
world, with 7 per cent of world trade. By the turn of the century, it
would have a combined population of 500 millions and a GDP of over $500
billions. The potential for trade was, therefore, considerable.
He noted that sentiments still linger in the West that the continuing
economic rise and dynamism of Asia was a threat to the West's own
economic well-being. Governments were, therefore, under pressure from
competitive imports and union leaders feared that jobs would be lost to Asia.
"These adjustment pains are real, not imaginary. Governments must act to
lessen them and make sure the benefits of international trade reach all
segments of their societies. But Government cannot deny or buck the
economic forces which cause the pressures. without paying a very high
price in terms of misallocated resources, lost growth opportunities and
ultimately diminished international influence," Brig. Gen. Lee said.
Asean he said, was an important and fast-growing market for the EU, which
enjoyed a favourable balance of trade with Asean. But this trade was
still small. Ell's combined GDP was larger than both the U.S. and japan,
and therefore, it had considerable room to expand trade.
Turning to the cultural and political differences, the Deputy Premier
said: "This diversity of history and culture means that often Asean and
the EU countries will have different perceptions of the role, of the
individual and the family, the community and the State. What works in
Europe will not always work in the Asian context, and vice versus. As
Asian countries progress, they will adapt, but will not copy wholesale,
ideas and institutions from Western societies, to suit their needs."
Brig. Gen. Lee said disagreement, even among friends, were inevitable.
"The constructive way forward is for both sides to accept these
differences and focus on areas of co-operation, not to fixate on
individual contentious issues and allow them to undermine the broader
relationship," he added.
The Deputy Prime Minister said that Asean-EU dialogue was now celebrating
its 20th anniversary and the relationship had "endured and matured." Both
sides recognised its relevance and importance and it was time to
consolidate and build on the inherent strengths to make a model for
inter-regional co-operation.
EU sources told me that human rights and "fundamental freedoms" were very
much on the agenda and the joint declaration would seek to reiterate the
commitment of both sides to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
the Vienna declaration and programme of Action of 1993. "There may not be
any specific mention of countries or violations, but in our frank
discussions, we will certainly tell our Asean friends, our perceptions on
both Myanmar and East Timor. Those two issues cannot and should not cloud
our relationship and cannot also be swept under the carpet," they explained.
In a tactical move, Singapore, as host and co-Chair for the dialogue,
introduced a two-hour free-wheeling discussion on Myanmar at an informal,
working lunch this afternoon.
At the end of it, the Foreign Minister, Prof. S. Jayakumar, told
reporters, "It was the most substantive discussion we have had on Myanmar
for a long time. Almost every Minister spoke on the issue and both sides
expressed their concerns on Myanmar."
According to EU sources, the Foreign Ministers made it clear that
constructive engagement should show tangible results in the form of a
dialogue between the military junta and the pro-democracy movement.