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Reuters-ASEAN Meet Looks to Boost T
- Subject: Reuters-ASEAN Meet Looks to Boost T
- From: tinkyi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 23 Nov 1999 08:33:00
Subject: Reuters-ASEAN Meet Looks to Boost Trade, Technology
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Tuesday November 23 8:39 AM ET=20
ASEAN Meet Looks to Boost Trade, Technology
By Raju Gopalakrishnan=20
MANILA (Reuters) - Southeast Asia will focus on cutting edge =
information technology industries and the promotion of free trade to =
rekindle the region's former high growth rates, a senior official said =
on Tuesday.=20
Rodolfo Severino, Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) =
secretary-general, told Reuters future competitiveness would be the =
theme for this weekend's Manila summit of the 10-nation grouping.=20
To help the region achieve its goals, ASEAN leaders would hold =
talks with executives from the world's top information technology =
companies, he said.=20
``ASEAN recognizes that future competitiveness now lies in the =
development of skills and the building of the necessary institutions to =
make possible ASEAN's competitiveness in the industries of the future,'' =
Severino said.=20
At an earlier news conference, Severino he expected discussion at =
the summit to center on the industries of the future.=20
``Essentially we are looking at the ways in which to bind ASEAN =
together electronically, upgrade the skills of ASEAN's peoples to link =
them to the 'wired world' and to make sure that they can compete in =
these areas,'' he said.=20
ASEAN -- grouping Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, =
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- holds its =
third informal summit on November 28.=20
The group would also meet leaders from ASEAN dialogue partners =
Japan, China and South Korea to further economic cooperation which could =
eventually lead to the expansion of the proposed ASEAN Free Trade Area =
(AFTA) to include its northern neighbors, said Severino.=20
``Certainly ASEAN is not averse to having this kind of a =
relationship,'' he said, adding such proposals were still some way off =
from becoming reality.=20
Japan To Help In New Initiative=20
Tokyo media have said Japan is likely to announce at the summit =
the so-called ``Obuchi program,'' named after Japanese Prime Minister =
Keizo Obuchi, to boost human resource development in ASEAN through =
student exchanges, training and support for non-governmental =
organizations.=20
The plan will help the region maintain the economic resurgence of =
the past year and regain the high growth rates wiped out by the 1997 =
Asian financial crisis, he added.=20
The Asian Development Bank on Tuesday revised its 1999 growth =
forecast for Asia minus Japan to 5.7 percent from a previous estimate of =
5.5 percent. Growth for the region in 1998 was 2.3 percent against 6.1 =
percent in 1997 and 7.4 percent in 1996.=20
ASEAN will also move toward its goals under AFTA of eliminating =
tariffs on goods traded in the region, Severino said.=20
Trade ministers, who meet before the summit, will review progress =
on lowering tariffs on up to 90 percent of goods to between 0-5 percent =
by 2000 and set a time-table for complete elimination on a progressively =
wider range of products, he said.=20
=20
=20
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<TD vAlign=3Dtop><B>Tuesday November 23 8:39 AM ET</B>=20
<H2>ASEAN Meet Looks to Boost Trade, Technology</H2><!-- TextStart =
-->
<P>By Raju Gopalakrishnan=20
<P>MANILA (Reuters) - Southeast Asia will focus on cutting edge=20
information technology industries and the promotion of free trade =
to=20
rekindle the region's former high growth rates, a senior official =
said on=20
Tuesday.=20
<P>Rodolfo Severino, Association of South East Asian Nations =
(ASEAN)=20
secretary-general, told Reuters future competitiveness would be =
the theme=20
for this weekend's Manila summit of the 10-nation grouping.=20
<P>To help the region achieve its goals, ASEAN leaders would hold =
talks=20
with executives from the world's top information technology =
companies, he=20
said.=20
<P>``ASEAN recognizes that future competitiveness now lies in the=20
development of skills and the building of the necessary =
institutions to=20
make possible ASEAN's competitiveness in the industries of the =
future,''=20
Severino said.=20
<P>At an earlier news conference, Severino he expected discussion =
at the=20
summit to center on the industries of the future.=20
<P>``Essentially we are looking at the ways in which to bind ASEAN =
together electronically, upgrade the skills of ASEAN's peoples to =
link=20
them to the 'wired world' and to make sure that they can compete =
in these=20
areas,'' he said.=20
<P>ASEAN -- grouping Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, =
Myanmar,=20
the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- holds its =
third=20
informal summit on November 28.=20
<P>The group would also meet leaders from ASEAN dialogue partners =
Japan,=20
China and South Korea to further economic cooperation which could=20
eventually lead to the expansion of the proposed ASEAN Free Trade =
Area=20
(AFTA) to include its northern neighbors, said Severino.=20
<P>``Certainly ASEAN is not averse to having this kind of a=20
relationship,'' he said, adding such proposals were still some way =
off=20
from becoming reality.=20
<P><FONT size=3D+1><B>Japan To Help In New Initiative</B></FONT>=20
<P>Tokyo media have said Japan is likely to announce at the summit =
the=20
so-called ``Obuchi program,'' named after Japanese Prime Minister =
Keizo=20
Obuchi, to boost human resource development in ASEAN through =
student=20
exchanges, training and support for non-governmental =
organizations.=20
<P>The plan will help the region maintain the economic resurgence =
of the=20
past year and regain the high growth rates wiped out by the 1997 =
Asian=20
financial crisis, he added.=20
<P>The Asian Development Bank on Tuesday revised its 1999 growth =
forecast=20
for Asia minus Japan to 5.7 percent from a previous estimate of =
5.5=20
percent. Growth for the region in 1998 was 2.3 percent against 6.1 =
percent=20
in 1997 and 7.4 percent in 1996.=20
<P>ASEAN will also move toward its goals under AFTA of eliminating =
tariffs=20
on goods traded in the region, Severino said.=20
<P>Trade ministers, who meet before the summit, will review =
progress on=20
lowering tariffs on up to 90 percent of goods to between 0-5 =
percent by=20
2000 and set a time-table for complete elimination on a =
progressively=20
wider range of products, he said. <!-- TextEnd --></P></TD><!-- =
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