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Full text of ASEAN summit chairman'



Full text of ASEAN summit chairman's statement 

Kyodo, Manila, 28 Nove,mber 1999.The following is the full text of a
statement released Sunday by Philippine President Joseph Estrada, who
chaired the third informal summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN), after the meeting. 

Chairman's Press Statement ASEAN 3rd Informal Summit Nov. 28, 1999 MANILA 

1. The third informal summit of the ASEAN heads of state/government was
held in Manila on Nov. 28,
1999. The meeting was chaired by H.E. President Joseph Ejercito Estrada of
the Republic of the
Philippines. 

2. The summit was attended by H.M. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of
Brunei Darussalam, H.E.
Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, H.E. Abdurrahman Wahid,
President of the
Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Sisavath Keobounphanh, Prime Minister of the
Lao People's Democratic
Republic, H.E. Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and
Development Council and
Prime Minister of the Union of Myanmar, H.E. Goh Chok Tong, Prime Minister
of Singapore, H.E.
Chuan Leekpai, Prime Minister of Thailand, H.E. Phan Van Khai, Prime
Minister of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam, and, the Honorable Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar of
Malaysia, Special
Representative of the prime minister of Malaysia. 

3. In this welcome statement, President Estrada expressed confidence in
ASEAN's ability to achieve its
Vision 2020 goals of peace, stability, and prosperity for the ten countries
of Southeast Asia. He called
upon the member countries to learn and practice the habits of openness,
just as they have mastered the
ways of cooperation, to bring the ASEAN vision to reality. He called for an
intensification of dialogue
and cooperation between ASEAN and the countries of Northeast Asia to move
the whole East Asian
region to higher levels of integration and partnership. 

4. The highlights of the exchange of views and the agreements during the
informal summit are as follows: 

Current Security Environment 

5. The HOS/G had a useful exchange of views on current political and
security developments in the
region. The recognized how the evolving regional security environment
during the 1990s has given rise to
new forms of security challenges for ASEAN. They agreed that ASEAN should
make its long-held
principles and approaches more relevant to meet these new security challenges. 

6. In this regard, they noted the results of the informal retreat of the
ASEAN foreign ministers held in
Singapore in July 1999, particularly their frank and candid discussion on
the need for ASEAN to adapt
to the challenges posed by its expansion, human rights, governance and the
environment. They called on
the foreign ministers to sustain this constrictive effort, guided by the
larger interest of ASEAN mutual
solidarity, unity, and cohesion. 

7. President Abdurrahman Wahid of Indonesia briefed the meeting in the
latest developments in Aceh,
Indonesia. In this connection, the HOS/G reiterated their full respect for
the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of the Republic of Indonesia. They expressed their support for
the efforts of President Wahid
toward a peaceful settlement of the situation in Aceh. 

8. The HOS/G were of the view that ASEAN made a significant contribution to
the progress of
multilateral regional cooperation to promote security through the ASEAN
Regional Forum. They agreed
to complement ARF initiatives by engaging neighboring countries in East
Asia to more regular summit
dialogues on political and security issues. 

9. The HOS/G agreed to the proposal to set up and ASEAN Troika at the
ministerial level in order that
ASEAN could address more effectively and cooperate more closely in issues
affecting peace and
stability of the region. 

10. On the South China Sea, the HOS/G reaffirmed the need for a regional
Code of Conduct in the
South China Sea. The noted the report of the ministers that ASEAN now has a
draft regional code of
conduct, and further consultations will be made on the draft with a view to
advancing the process on the
adoption of the Code. 

Economic Resurgence, Financial Issues, and Future Competitiveness 

11. The HOS/G noted the improved regional economic outlook for ASEAN this
year in welcoming this
development, however, they agreed that greater vigilance in the exercise of
joint efforts in various areas
of common interest in the financial and economic sector is necessary to
guard against complacency and
the risk that could affect the economic recovery in Asia. As such, the
HOS/G endeavored to build upon
its efforts in enhancing ASEAN business environment and to promote
transparency, as well as
corporate and industrial governance reforms. 

12. The HOS/G welcomed the successful implementation of the bold measures
adopted at the sixth
ASEAN summit and the steady progress of work in ASEAN economic and
financial cooperation,
including trade facilitation and liberalization activities. In a landmark
decision, the HOS/G committed to
eliminate all import duties by 2010, ahead of the original schedule, for
the six original members of
ASEAN. They also agreed in principle to advance the schedule from 2018 to
2015 for the new
members of ASEAN, but allowing some sensitive products to follow the
original date of 2018. They
noted that 90% of the inclusion list of the six original signatories to the
CEPT Agreement would have
tariffs of 0-5% by 1 January 2000. They looked forward to further progress
in the implementation of a
new round of negotiations in services for which a set of parameters was
recently adopted as a guide to
further liberalize trade in services in ASEAN. 

13. The HOS/G were also pleased to note that the Framework Agreement on the
ASEAN Investment
Area had entered into force following the ratification by all ASEAN member
countries of the agreement.
They also welcomed the efforts which advanced work in the ASEAN Industrial
Cooperation Scheme
(AICO) and the new initiative that will allow for the participation of SMEs
in the AICO Scheme. 

14. The HOS/G noted the importance of domestic and foreign investment flows
in sustaining the region's
economic recovery. To mobilize surplus savings and strengthen financial
intermediation in ASEAN, the
HOS/G tasked their finance ministers to develop active and deep capital
markets, especially bond
markets, throughout the region. This would also reduce the vulnerability of
ASEAN to external shocks. 

15. The HOS/G were pleased that the 1999 ASEAN Investment Report has been
published to provide
the public with useful analyses of the latest FDI trends and developments
in ASEAN. This is one of
ASEAN's deliverables for 1999, emphasizing ASEAN's resolve to improve
economic transparency in
the region. Transparency is one of the core elements of the ASEAN Framework
Agreement for the
Promotion and Protection of Investment. 

16. The HOS/G are pleased with the launching of the e-ASEAN as a new
initiative during the 31st
ASEAN economic ministers meeting in Singapore in October 1999. This
decision will help ASEAN
improve its competitiveness in the global market. The HOS/G noted that Mr.
Roberto Romulo had been
designated to lead the high-level Public-Private Task Force on e-ASEAN
which will be developing an
action plan to implement the above-cited recommendations and to foster an
active collaboration
between the private and public sectors with the objective of evolving an
ASEAN e-space. 

17. The HOS/G agreed that ASEAN should increase connectivity with each
other. They noted that
ASEAN's HRD efforts could be maximized through initiatives such as distance
learning over the
Internet, sharing of on-line library resources, and the ASEAN Education
Network. 

18. The HOS/G welcome the developments in the implementation of the various
finance programs listed
in the Hanoi Plan of Action. The progressive character of the discussions
on the Reform of International
Financial Architecture has been duly noted by the HOS/G as positive
developments that would lead up
to enhancing efficiency and stability in financial markets and in promoting
global economic activity. 

19. The HOS/G recognized the launching of the ASEAN Surveillance Process
(ASP) in March of this
year as a major milestone in ASEAN financial and monetary cooperation. They
likewise noted progress
in the conduct of the peer review process of the economic situation in
ASEAN and welcomed the
support extended by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations
Development
Program to the ASP. The HOS/G directed their respective Ministers to
explore further options to
strengthen regional support mechanism. 

20. The participation of the private sector was collectively acknowledged
by HOS/G as a vital element
in crisis prevention and crisis resolution. As such, they encouraged
private sector inputs and
contributions to the various collective efforts of ASEAN. They also called
for the expansion of initiatives
that will further promote joint ventures and linkages among small and
medium enterprises (SMEs) and
large-scale enterprises (LSEs). 

Social Issues Including Social Safety Nets 

21. The HOS/G were pleased with the progress of work done in the
implementation of ASEAN's
Social Safety Net Programs. They expressed appreciation for the support of
some of ASEAN's
Dialogue Partners and international organizations such as ADB, World Bank,
and the International
Monetary Fund to these programs and other social development initiatives.
They noted the plan to
adopt the ASEAN Joint Declaration on Socially Cohesive and Caring Societies
at the ASEAN
ministerial meeting in July 2000 in Bangkok. 

22. The HOS/G also welcomed the various collaborative work being undertaken
by various ASEAN
fora with government organizations, non-government organizations, and
international organizations in the
conduct of projects that will address the impact of the crisis and
alleviate poverty. They likewise
stressed the need to respond to other social issues affecting the elderly,
women, children, and other
disadvantaged sectors, including general concerns on employment, public
health, and education. 

23. Given these positive developments, they instructed their ministers to
explore other initiatives that
would allow for greater multilateral and international support to and
participation in the programs, taking
into consideration the mutual interests of ASEAN and international
organizations in these areas of
concern. One such initiative is in the area of HRD: a tie up between
labor-exporting and labor-importing
countries to create a skills training center, in partnership with the
private sector. 

24. They acknowledged the effort of the ASEAN Secretariat in promoting
these initiatives among
ASEAN's dialogue partners and international organizations and called for
sustained efforts in this regard.


25. Acknowledging the serious impact of transnational crime on peace,
prosperity, the well-being of the
people, and progress of ASEAN, the HOS/G committed to move forward and
intensify individual and
collective efforts to address transnational crime, such as drug
trafficking. They noted the importance of
the early establishment of the ASEAN Center for Combating Transnational
Crime (ACTC) and
desirability of generating support from other international organizations
and countries, including
ASEAN's dialogue partners. 

26. The HOS/G affirmed their common commitment to improving the standards
of living of the people
as the primary objective of all the reforms and the financial and economic
cooperation activities being
pursued within the ASEAN processes and framework. 

The Future Direction of ASEAN 

27. The HOS/G view ASEAN as progressing beyond AFTA and moving towards
higher levels of
economic integration as it faces the challenges of the new millennium. 

28. They directed their ministers to advance work in this area, and report
at the informal meeting in
Singapore next year. 

29. The HOS/G emphasized the importance of efforts to prepare ASEAN for the
challenges of
globalization. They directed the ministers, with the assistance of the
ASEAN Secretariat, to enhance the
process of cross-sectoral interaction to develop greater synergy. 

30. To promote extra-ASEAN relations, the HOS/G likewise directed the
ministers to identify initiatives
with other multilateral organizations, regional groupings, and
international organizations. 

31. The HOS/g noted the convening of the Eminent Persons Group last June
and welcomed its
discussions on human security, regional identity and resilience, and ASEAN
outreach. 

32. The HOS/G welcomed the Philippine initiative to strengthen cooperation
and consultation among the
countries in East Asia to enhance peace, stability, and prosperity in the
region. They agreed on its
incorporation into the work of the East Asia Vision Group (EAVG), which
shall present its report on
East Asian cooperation in the 21st century at the seventh ASEAN Summit in
Brunei in 2001. 

International Economic Issues 

33. The HOS/G looked forward to the successful conclusion of the third WTO
ministerial conference.
They expressed optimism that this meeting would demonstrate the WTO's
relevance as a vehicle for a
more open, freer, and fairer global trade and investment regime. They
called for the full and effective
implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreements and expressed their support
to the launch of a new
round of multilateral trade negotiations. 

34. The HOS/G agreed that negotiations on agriculture should aim at
continuing the liberalization
process of world agricultural trade, including increased market access,
elimination of export subsidies
and trade-distorting domestic support, taking into account the development
needs of developing
countries, including non-trade concerns and food security. 

35. The HOS/G called for the effective implementation of the special and
differential treatment for
developing countries. They also underscored the importance of capacity
building and technical
assistance as essential elements to facilitate the full participation of
these countries in the WTO. 

36. The HOS/G stressed the need for a more rapid WTO accession process for
Cambodia, Laos, and
Vietnam. The HOS/G welcomed China's impending admission into the WTO. 

37. The HOS/G noted the contributions of the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) forum in
strengthening regional economic cooperation and welcomed the successful
outcomes of the Auckland
meetings. They recognized the firm direction and focus that APEC has given
to economic and technical
cooperation towards strengthening capacity building efforts in the region. 

38. They expressed full support for the APEC chairmanship of Brunei
Darussalam next year and of
Thailand in 2003. 

39. The HOS/G recognized the importance of strengthening collaboration with
other organizations and
funding institutions on health resources development, education, and
poverty alleviation. 

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