Fourth ASEAN Informal Summit Winds upThe Fourth ASEAN Informal Summit closed November 25 after issuing a statement to express their resolves to enhance ASEAN integration and solidarity and put forth the endorsed programs aiming to prosper the ASEAN.The statement was released following the respective 10+1 meetings between ASEAN leaders and those of China, Japan and South Korea, where they deepened their discussions at the ASEAN plus Three (10+3) meeting Friday, November 24. Singapore prime minister Goh Chok Tong told a press conference at the end of the meeting that the ASEAN leaders had a "very good" meeting and their discussions were focused on medium-term and long-term prospect for ASEAN as well as on a number of measures and programs to be put into action. Goh said the central backbone of the development programs is the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI), which, the statement says, aims to narrow the divide within ASEAN and enhance ASEAN's competitiveness as a region and keep ASEAN on track and integrated. According to the statement, the IAI provides a framework for regional cooperation through which the more developed ASEAN members could help those member countries that need, referring to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, and requires member countries to contribute what they can. Another important project is the "e-ASEAN" Framework Agreement signed by the ASEAN leaders. The agreement provides a broad framework to develop free trade area for goods, services and investments for the information and telecommunications industries within ASEAN. In his briefing , Goh Chok Tong said that China, Japan and South Korea supported the IAI and agreed to work towards an "Asian IT Belt" which will link up cities of IT Excellence in Asia. The statement also said that the ASEAN leaders stressed the importance of pushing ahead with existing initiatives such as the ASEAN Free Trade Area and ASEAN Investment Area and endorsed the broad thrust of the feasibility study of the railway project to link Singapore and Kunming, China, and move forward the Mekong River Basin development project. In the political area, the statements says, the leaders reaffirmed the fundamental importance of political unity within ASEAN and will make efforts to ensure ASEAN member countries that have not joined the organization of Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) to become APEC and ASEM members. Concerning the meetings between leaders of ASEAN and China, Japan, South Korea under the framework of 10+3 and 10+1, respectively, the statement says the leaders emphasized the importance of closer cooperation among the countries of East Asia and supported South Korea's proposal for an East Asia Study Group and China's proposal to set up an expert group to study how economic cooperation and free trade relations between ASEAN and China can be deepened. Meanwhile, ASEAN leaders had respective meetings with leaders of China, Japan and South Korea and they deepened their discussions at the ASEAN plus Three meeting Friday. Fourth ASEAN Informal Summit BeginsThe Fourth ASEAN Informal Summit began for discussions of issues the leaders are concerned about and interested in on the morning of November 24Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong of Singapore, as a host, was the first speaker at the roundtable meeting. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |