THE NATION: REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE/He

[suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Editorial & Opinion 

      REGIONAL
      PERSPECTIVE/Hello,
      anyone interested in
      Asem?

      To the pessimists, the second Asia-Europe
      Meeting comes at an inopportune time
      because both Asia and Europe are
      confronting serious problems on their home
      fronts. While Asia is struggling with the
      ongoing economic crisis, Europe is going
      through a transitional period of integrating
      its monetary policy and coping with the
      European Union membership's
      enlargement. 

      However, to the optimists, the Asem II,
      which will be held next weekend in London,
      is the opportunity for both sides to
      strengthen cross-continental links, started in
      1996, in economics, politics and culture as
      well as to reaffirm their joint determination
      to weather the economic turbulence in Asia.

      Whatever views one prefers, it is
      undeniable that Asem II has still a long way
      to go. Despite their strong rhetoric of
      mutual support, there is obviously little
      either can do for the other for now, but
      Europe could, at the very least, express
      confidence in Asia's economic
      fundamentals, while Asia could vow to
      press ahead with painful economic and
      political reforms. 

      Asem leaders, however, are far from united
      in seeing through the objectives of the
      two-year-old grouping. At the London
      summit they have to seriously demonstrate
      their political will and commitment if the
      outcome of Asem II is to set a benchmark
      for future cooperation. 

      Although the summit is fast approaching,
      the European media have yet to report on
      the developments surrounding the
      upcoming event. It is fair to say that there
      has been more interest in Asia on Asem II:
      reports on Asia's expectations and the
      thinking of each member abound. 

      By nature the British and European press is
      very parochial. On foreign issues there is
      news on EU affairs and immediate
      problems such as the latest situation in
      Kosovo but little else. No matter how hard
      the British Foreign and Commonwealth
      Office (FCO) has tried to generate news
      related to London's effort in hosting Asem II,
      the press here does not seem to take much
      notice. For instance, Minister of State
      Derek Fatchett has made quite a few
      statements on Asem, but none was
      reported. 

      Senior FCO officials said that
      Asem-related articles would probably
      appear in the British and European media
      at least for a day or two during the summit.
      They said that the FCO had mapped out a
      strategy to stimulate interest in Asem
      among the press and the public before the
      meeting. 

      European-based Asian journalists say the
      British press gave little attention to the
      recent European Conference in London,
      where most of European leaders gathered.
      Even the BBC nine-o'clock news missed
      the event altogether. 

      For the time being it has been left to Britain
      in its capacity as president of the EU and
      host of Asem to highlight Asem's
      importance and the European's role in
      assisting the Asian financial crisis. 

      More specifically, the new Labour
      government wants Asem II to be the
      showcase for the government commitment
      to Asia that the FCO has been advocating
      through its ''UK in Asia'' campaign. In a way
      it is London's responsibility to put together
      and highlight Asia's concerns as well as the
      outcome of Asem II. 

      Some of these outcomes have already
      been decided, while others are still under
      negotiation. There will be a chairman's
      statement at the end of the two-day meeting
      which will outline the progress made since
      the first Asem and what is in the offing.
      Thailand, as the country that triggered the
      Asian financial crisis, has asked for a
      separate statement on the economic
      turmoil. The drafted text has been revised
      several times and is expected to be
      released on the first day of Asem II. 

      The Asia-Europe ''Vision Group'' has also
      been set up to develop medium- and
      long-term plans to guide Asem into the new
      millennium. MR Chatu Mongkol Sonakul,
      former permanent secretary for finance, is
      the Thai representative in the think-tank
      group. 

      The establishment of the Asem
      Environment Technology Centre in Thailand
      will be one of the tangible results of Asem II.
      The centre will promote information
      exchange on ecological problems, and the
      current haze affecting part of Southeast
      Asia will be a test case for this new body. 

      Other agreed initiatives include the
      adoption of an Asia-Europe Cooperation
      Framework to coordinate and promote
      various Asem activities and the
      implementation of a Trade Facilitation
      Action Plan to further lower non-tariff
      barriers, speed up customs clearance and
      harmonise quality standards and
      certification for products traded by the EU
      and Asia. A non-binding Investment
      Promotion Action Plan will be adopted to
      increase bilateral investment flow and
      opportunities for small- and medium-sized
      business enterprises. 

      According to Fatchett, there will also be a
      programme to promote children's
      education and welfare, including joint efforts
      to fight against the commercial and sexual
      exploitation of children. In addition, Asem
      will launch a joint money-laundering
      campaign and a joint study of organised
      crime's links with Asian and European
      money markets. 

      Finally, an Asem Trust Fund, considered
      the highlight of Asem in London, will be set
      up as part of the World Bank. By the time it
      was announced, the start-up fund had
      around US$25-50 million from key
      European members of Asem, which will be
      used to provide know-how and expertise in
      economic and financial management to
      Asia and the establishment of safety-net
      programmes. 

      While Asia, especially its economically
      battered countries, welcomes the trust fund,
      it would like to see it cover immediate and
      short-term impacts such as debt roll-overs
      and export credit rather than exclusively
      focus on long-term social impacts. Some
      Southeast Asian countries hope that the
      fund will eventually be more encompassing
      so as to include human-resource
      development and the transfer of technology.

      Parallel to Asem II there will be meetings
      and seminars organised by
      non-governmental organisations based in
      Europe and the Asia-Pacific region
      featuring Nobel Peace Prize laureate
      Ramos Jose Horta as the keynote speaker
      and video messages from two other
      laureates, Aung San Suu Kyi and the Dalai
      Lama. Hundreds of Asian artists and
      performers will also be in London during the
      summit to brighten up one of the world's
      largest congregation of world leaders so far
      this year. 

      ----------- 

      This is first of a series on the second
      Asia-Europe Meeting. 

      BY KAVI CHONGKITTAVORN 

      The Nation