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NEWS - ASEAN-EU Meeting Delayed Ove
- Subject: NEWS - ASEAN-EU Meeting Delayed Ove
- From: BurmaJapan@xxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 14:57:00
ASEAN-EU Meeting Delayed Over Myanmar Issue
Xinhua
14-NOV-97
BANGKOK (Nov. 14) XINHUA - A meeting
between the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) and the Europe Union (EU)
has been postponed due to their differences
over the Myanmar issue, the local press
reported today.
The meeting of the joint ASEAN-EU
Cooperation Committee, which is scheduled
for next week in Bangkok, has been set to be
postponed due to the EU's insistence on
refusal of Myanmar's participation in the
meeting.
Thai Foreign Ministry Permanent Secretary
Saroj Chavanaviraj Thursday said that the
EU had informed Thailand of its stance
earlier this week, but ASEAN will uphold the
principle of non-discrimination.
Thailand currently serves as the Asian side's
coordinator with the EU on the Asia-Europe
cooperation within the framework of the
Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), which opened
its first meeting in Bangkok last year
embracing the seven ASEAN member then
plus China, Japan, and South Korea as well
as the 15 EU members.
Myanmar, together with Laos, was admitted
into ASEAN in July this year, making ASEAN
become a nine-member grouping, but the
EU has been pressing ASEAN not to allow
Myanmar to participate in the Asia-Europe
conference due to Myanmar' domestic
issues.
The EU reportedly has expressed regrets
over the cancellation of the meeting.
However, senior ASEAN officials are likely to
meet during the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation meeting to be held in
Vancouver, Canada later this month to
discuss the matter, according to Wiboon
Kusakul, director of the Press Division under
the Thai Foreign Ministry.
The joint committee could reopen in
February next year if the two sides bridge
the gap, he added.