Asean, EU chart their way round Bur

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Asean, EU chart their way round Bu	rma issue

BY YINDEE LERTCHAROENCHOK 
5/4/98
The Nation


LONDON -- Asean and the European Union are trying to work out a formula to
break the current deadlock which has hindered their annual bilateral
dialogue as a result of Burma's admission into Southeast Asian grouping
last July. 

Deputy Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan said yesterday that he had proposed
a formula to Manuel Marin, vice president of the European Commission,
during their bilateral meeting on Friday, but he declined to disclose what
the formula was, saying that this would be premature as Marin has yet to
discuss it with the 15 European Union foreign ministers. 

Surin said the meeting of Asian and European ministers on Thursday had
agreed that both sides should quickly resolve the deadlock in ''a creative
way''. 

Following Burma's admission into Asean last July, the European Union has
refused to take part in an annual Asean-EU joint committee where a Burmese
delegation would participate as an Asean member. The European grouping
opposed Burma's membership in the regional grouping unless there was
political progress in the country.

Although Burma recently attended a meeting of an Asean-EU working group in
the Philippines, Surin said the working group had been a small structure
and that Asean was keen to resume the annual bilateral meeting, which was
at the level of director-generals. 

The ministers agreed that both Asean and EU had "to adjust and be flexible"
in order to resolve the problem. 

He quoted Marin as saying that the matter was of a "sensitive" nature as
the admission of Burma into the joint Asean-EU committee would need
approval from the European Parliament. 

However, the European ministers are equally keen now to find a way around
the stumbling block so that both sides can proceed with their regular
consultations, he added. 

Asem leaders on Friday suggested that there were similarities in the
situations in Cambodia and Bosnia, pointing out that in both cases there
was uncertainly, unpredictability and fast political development. 

During a closed-door discussion on international political issues, Prime
Minister Chuan Leekpai said that despite progress being made in Cambodia to
move the peace process forward and the scheduled 26 July general elections
the situation there was still unstable. 

Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto said that he agreed and expressed
hope that Prince Norodom Ranariddh and all other politicians would be able
to participate in the election.