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ASEAN-India summit:consensus awaite
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ASEAN-India summit: consensus awaited
The Hindu (25,July,2001)
BY Amit Baruah
Hanoi, July24.A consensus within the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations for an ASEAN-India summit meeting is still awaited, the
Vietnamese Foreign Minister, Mr. Nguyen Dy Nien, indicated today. Mr.
Nguyen, who confirmed that the issue figured in the discussions held
between ASEAN Foreign Ministers here, said that a ' clear statement' on
such a summit interaction was possible in the future.
" India is a great country in Asia and all the ASEAN
countries have very good relations with India ? a good link I think ?
economic, cultural and all other fields. We wish very much to have a
very close relationship with India. I think the question (of an
ASEAN-India) summit was also referred (to) in our discussion. And I hope
that in future discussion(s), we will make a clearer statement on this
issue, " he said in response to a question. On the same issue, the ASEAN
Secretary ?General, Mr. Rudolfo C . Severino. Jr. said the organisation
was searching for ways to strengthen ASEAN's relations with India.
" Nothing conclusive came out of the Foreign Ministers meeting,
but the subject was discussed, Mr. Severino told the Hindu.
Are you hopeful of a positive response in the future? " Yes,
yes.Because the basis for my optimism is the fact that ASEAN considers
India as a very important partner. And, so, before long I think we will
see some strengthening of the ASEAN-India relationship.
"According to informed sources, Thailand's Foreign Minister,
Er, Surakiat Sathirathai, spoke up in favour of an ASEAN-India summit.
On previous occasions, under a different Government, Thailand had been
sitting on the fence on this issue. The sources also revealed that
Malaysia, which had previously held up arriving at a consensus on the
summit meeting, has now said it would take the entire issue of its own
position to the Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr, Mahathir Mohamad.
This development on the Malaysian side appears to be
positive and could pave the way for forward movement on the summit issue
between India and ASEAN. In response to another question at his press
conference, the Vietnamese Foreign Minister said the issue of a
moratorium on new members to the ASEAN Regional Forum would be raised
during the ARF meeting tomorrow.
However, when asked, the ASEAN Secretary- General said the
issue of Pakistan seeking membership in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)
was unlikely to figure in the discussions tomorrow.He said the question
of Pakistan joining the ARF did not figure in the discussions of the
Foreign Ministers.
Asked if the matter might come up during tomorrow's ARF
session of Foreign Ministers, Mr. Rudolfo Severino, Jr, said: "No,
because it was taken up at the ARF senior officials meeting ?there was
no consensus on it."
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<b><font color="#990000"><font size=+2>
ASEAN-India summit: consensus awaited</font></font></b>
<p><b><i><font color="#993366"><font size=+1>The Hindu (25,July,2001)</font></font></i></b>
<br><i><font color="#993366">BY Amit Baruah</font></i>
<br><i><font color="#993366">Hanoi, July24</font><font color="#66FF99">.</font></i>A
consensus within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for an ASEAN-India
summit meeting is still awaited, the Vietnamese Foreign Minister, Mr. Nguyen
Dy Nien, indicated today. Mr. Nguyen, who confirmed that the issue
figured in the discussions held between ASEAN Foreign Ministers here, said
that a ' clear statement' on such a summit interaction was possible in
the future.
<p> "
India is a great country in Asia and all the ASEAN countries have very
good relations with India ? a good link I think ? economic, cultural and
all other fields. We wish very much to have a very close relationship with
India. I think the question (of an ASEAN-India) summit was also referred
(to) in our discussion. And I hope that in future discussion(s), we will
make a clearer statement on this issue, " he said in response to a question.
On the same issue, the ASEAN Secretary ?General, Mr. Rudolfo C . Severino.
Jr. said the organisation was searching for ways to strengthen ASEAN's
relations with India.
<p> " Nothing conclusive
came out of the Foreign Ministers meeting, but the subject was discussed,
Mr. Severino told the Hindu.
<p> Are you hopeful of
a positive response in the future? " Yes, yes.Because the basis for my
optimism is the fact that ASEAN considers India as a very important partner.
And, so, before long I think we will see some strengthening of the ASEAN-India
relationship.
<p> "According to
informed sources, Thailand's Foreign Minister, Er, Surakiat Sathirathai,
spoke up in favour of an ASEAN-India summit. On previous occasions, under
a different Government, Thailand had been sitting on the fence on this
issue. The sources also revealed that Malaysia, which had previously held
up arriving at a consensus on the summit meeting, has now said it would
take the entire issue of its own position to the Malaysian Prime Minister,
Dr, Mahathir Mohamad.
<p>
This development on the Malaysian side appears to be positive and could
pave the way for forward movement on the summit issue between India and
ASEAN. In response to another question at his press conference, the
Vietnamese Foreign Minister said the issue of a moratorium on new members
to the ASEAN Regional Forum would be raised during the ARF meeting tomorrow.
<p>
However, when asked, the ASEAN Secretary- General said the issue of Pakistan
seeking membership in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was unlikely to figure
in the discussions tomorrow.He said the question of Pakistan joining the
ARF did not figure in the discussions of the Foreign Ministers.
<p>
Asked if the matter might come up during tomorrow's ARF session of Foreign
Ministers, Mr. Rudolfo Severino, Jr, said: "No, because it was taken up
at the ARF senior officials meeting ?there was no consensus on it."
<p> </html>
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