Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has proposed that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) accelerate steps so that a planned free trade area between ASEAN and China will be implemented earlier than its schedule, The Thai News Agency(TNA) said Saturday.
The Premier raised the proposal when he led his entourage, including Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, Commerce Minister Adisai Bodharamik, and Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, to pay a courtesy call on Rodolfo Severino, ASEAN's Secretary-General, at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta Friday, the TNA said.
ASEAN and China reached a landmark agreement on the establishment of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area at a recent ASEAN summit in Brunei.
They initially agreed that the planned free trade area be set up over the next 10 years.
Thaksin proposed that ASEAN member countries and China cooperate more closely in exchange of information and experiences through an on-line network, called E-ASEAN, which could be set up to help achieve the goal of the earlier implementation of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area.
Severino praised Thailand's continued cooperation and commitment with ASEAN, particularly in attempts to address drugs problems in the region and to crack down terrorist rings, as well as to speedily implement the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA).
The Secretary-General of ASEAN also suggested that governments of ASEAN member countries assist and support their people so that they will be able to earn more incomes on their own, and not have to depend on allocated funds from the governments.
At the talks, Surakiart asked that Severino be a coordinator to invite ASEAN ministers for a meeting to be hosted by Thailand, aimed to reduce the gap between old and new members of ASEAN.
ASEAN now groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, the latter four of which are new members.
(People's Daily January 21, 2002)
