[asia-apec 275] ASEM WATCH I

[by way of daga <daga at hk.super.net>]

this is msg 1 of 7 messages that came through on ASEM (Asia European
Ministers' Meeting) which you may want to subscribe to directly from:
     <asia at worldcom.nl>
Apologies to those who may be receiving this copy a second time.



Dear friends,

The  first  joint Asia-Europe NGO Conference took  place  late
February   in  Bangkok.  Approximately  400  women  and   men,
representing a wide range of people's organisations  and  NGOs
participated  in this historic event. This NGO Conference  was
scheduled  on  the eve of the ASEM, the first Summit  bringing
together  15  European  Union (EU)  and  10  Asian  government
leaders,  from  the seven ASEAN countries,  China,  Japan  and
South Korea.

The  Transnational Institute in Amsterdam (TNI) was among  the
organizations in Europe (with CIIR in London and Asia House in
Germany)   involved  in  organizing  the   Asia   Europe   NGO
Conference. At the Asian side Focus, ACFOD, Forum Asia, ARENA,
PARC,  Just, CCEJ and others were involved. As a follow-up  to
this NGO Conference it was decided that the TNI Asia programme
would  set up a home page on the world wide web on Europe-Asia
relations. Since this takes a while we decided not to wait and
to compile in the meantime a mailing: 'ASEM WATCH'. This first
mailing  contains a set of official ASEM documents, background
information  on ASEM and opinion articles around  the  current
developments concerning ASEM.

'ASEM  WATCH'  is  where you can learn  about  other  people's
ASEM-related work and they can learn about yours. Please  send
us   your   ASEM-related  information  (by  e-mail,   fax   or
snail-mail!)   --  including  news  items,  research   papers,
opinion   pieces  and  information  on  grassroots  activities
happening in your respective country. We welcome your comments
and suggestions!

We  are  preparing  a  book  on  ASEM,  based  on  "The  first
Asia-Europe    NGO   Conference:   Beyond   Geopolitics    and
Geo-economics:  Towards a New Relationship  Between  Asia  and
Europe",  which was held in Bangkok 27-29 February  1996.  The
book will contain a selection of articles which were presented
at  this  conference.  The book will be  ready  and  published
spring 1997. If you are interested in receiving a copy of this
book,  it  is  possible to send us an advance order  by  mail,
E-mail or fax.

Finally,  we  want to let you know that working committees  in
both  Europe  and Asia are in place to prepare  for  the  next
ASEM, to be held in Spring 1998 in London. We will provide you
with  an  update on the planned activities in  the  next  ASEM
WATCH.

If  you  want  to  stay  informed on  further  initiatives  in
relation to ASEM please write, fax or E-mail to TNI:

Brid Brennan / Pietje Vervest/ Erik Heijmans
Asia Programme
Transnational Institute
Paulus Potterstraat 20
1071 DA Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Tel: 31-20-662-6608
Fax: 31-20-675-7176
E-mail: asia at worldcom.nl

If  you know of any other organization wanting to receive ASEM
WATCH please let us know as well.

------------------------------------------------
ASEM WATCH I

official documents

Contents:

1. Background Note
2. ASEM Calendar


======================================================

1. BACKGROUND NOTE

Follow-up of Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)

1. General

As  was  recognized by all participants, the first Asia-Europe
Meeting  in  Bangkok  on 1-2 March was a major  success.  This
first ASEM:
-  confirmed  the clear will on both sides to develop  further
the essential relationship between Asia and Europe, based on a
genuine partnership among equals;
-  laid  the  basis  for  a strengthened  political  dialogue,
contributing to peace, global stability and prosperity;
-  paved  the  way  for  a  reinforced economic  dialogue  and
cooperation  between  the  two  regions,  with  a   particular
emphasis  on  the facilitation and promotion of two-way  trade
and investment flows;
- opened exciting new avenues for cooperation, in a wide range
of   areas  including  development,  global  issues  such   as
environment  and  crime,  and in particular  in  strengthening
mutual awareness and cultural links between Asia and Europe;
-  and  confirmed  the interest of expanding our  dialogue  on
human  values,  in a constructive climate and  respecting  our
cultural diversity.

While  all  participants  agreed  that  ASEM  should  not   be
institutionalised, the timing and location  of  the  next  two
ASEM  summits  has  been fixed (London 1998  and  South  Korea
2000),  and a substantial programme of work has been commenced
in the different aspects of the ASEM dialogue.

Following on the specific decisions taken in Bangkok, the most
immediate  follow-up  actions have been  concentrated  on  the
economic  side of the ASEM process, with a customs cooperation
meeting in June, and a major Business Forum in October. At the
same  time,  significant progress has been made in  developing
initial  proposals  for follow-up in certain  other  areas  of
cooperation  (notably with respect to the proposed Asia-Europe
Environmental   Technology   Centre,   and   the   Asia-Europe
Foundation).  Discussions have also commenced as  to  how  the
ASEM  political dialogue might best be strengthened, and  this
will  be taken further in preparing for the first ASEM foreign
Ministers' Meeting in February '97.

Nevertheless, it is important that the economic aspects of the
ASEM process are not seen to overshadow the political side  of
our  dialogue.  Both aspects are essential components  of  the
strengthened  partnership between Europe and  Asia  which  was
established by the ASEM Summit.

2. Status of agreed follow-up actions

The decisions reached in Bangkok are set out in the Chairman's
Statement, emphasising:
- the fostering of political dialogue
- the reinforcement of economic cooperation
- and  the  promotion of cooperation in other areas  (notably
science, education and development; environment and the  fight
against crime; and cultural cooperation)

Political dialogue

Specific  follow-up actions agreed by the heads of  state  and
government included:

- the continuation of the ASEM process proper, through the 2nd
and  3rd  ASEM summits in the UK in 1998 (dates in April  have
been  suggested)  and in South Korea in 2000,  assisted  by  a
Foreign  Ministers'  meeting  (to  be  held  in  Singapore  in
February 1997) and by a Senior Officials' Meeting (to be  held
in Dublin in December 1996);
- the enhancement of our existing 'bilateral' dialogues (ASEAN
Ministerial,  PMC  and ARF; dialogues with  China,  Japan  and
Korea);
-  the establishment of an ASEM dialogue on UN reform, in  New
York (the first meeting took place in New York on 21 June);
-   the   establishment  of  networking  and  seminars   among
think-tanks on international and regional issues;
-  and, at an overall level, the possible establishment  of  a
general 'Asia-Europe Cooperation Framework'.

Economic cooperation

Specific  follow-up actions agreed by the heads of  state  and
government included:

-     a  customs  cooperation meeting,  which  took  place  in
Shenzhen   on   21  June  1996.  This  agreed  to   strengthen
cooperation  among  ASEM partners with regard  to  control  or
illicit  trade  in  drugs, firearms and other  items  such  as
counterfeit  goods,  and  to  promote  the  harmonisation  and
simplification of customs procedures. Two working groups  have
been established (one covering each of these main fields), and
future meetings will be held anally.

-  a  government/private sector working  group  on  investment
promotion,  which  took place in Bangkok  on  8-9  July  1996.
Proposed  by  Thailand, this group is intended to  produce  an
Action  Plan  for  the  facilitation  and  intensification  of
two-way   investment  flows  between  Asia  and  Europe,   for
consideration  at  the Economic Ministers'  Meeting  in  1997.
Discussions at the meeting focused on both the promotional and
regulatory  aspects of investment, and it is expected  that  a
final  paper  will  be produced around the end  of  the  year,
following  comments on the group's recommendations  from  both
the SOMTI and the Business Forum,

- a Senior Officials' Meeting on Trade and Investment (SOMTI),
with  the  objective  of  promoting  the  liberalisation   and
facilitation  of  trade  and  investment.  This  was  held  in
Brussels on 25 July 1996, and focused on two themes:
       -  WTO  issues (including such topics as Uruguay  Round
implementation,  ongoing  work & built-in  agenda,  and  other
issues  including  trade & investment,  trade  &  competition,
trade  & development, regional initiatives & RTAs, accession),
with   a  view  to  assisting  in  preparation  for  the   WTO
Ministerial Meeting in Singapore in December 1996;
         -   and  other  measures  to  facilitate  trade   and
investment,  including in particular investment  facilitation,
customs  cooperation,  and trade facilitation.  One  important
conclusion  was that a Trade Facilitation Action  Plan  (TFAP)
should be prepared, intended to reduce non-tariff barriers and
promote  trade opportunities between the two regions.  It  was
also agreed that a second SOMTI meeting will be held in spring
1997, in Asia.

- The creation of an ASEM Business Forum, the first meeting of
which  took  place  in Paris on 14-15 October  1996.  Business
leaders  from  the  two  regions  considered  how  to  further
strengthen trade and investment flows between Asia and Europe,
and  gave particular emphasis to the need for a clear, stable,
transparent  and non-discriminatory framework for intensifying
business  operations,  and  for continued  efforts  to  reduce
barriers  to trade in goods and services. Also emphasised  was
the  importance of joint ventures and strategic  alliances  in
enhancing  business cooperation between the  two  regions,  of
training  and staff exchanges in promoting business awareness,
and  of  improved  information  flows  in  upgrading  business
opportunities for SMEs. The Business Forum also suggested that
consideration  be  given to the possible  establishment  of  a
Europe-Asia infrastructure Fund.

In addition to these four initial actions, other activities in
the field of ASEM economic cooperation include:
- a Business Conference, to be held in Indonesia in July 1997,
and to be followed by further meetings of the Business Forum (
in  Thailand  in 1997, and proposed for the UK  in  1998,  and
Korea in 1999)
-  an Economic Ministers' Meeting in 1997 (which will probably
be held in Tokyo, in autumn of 1997);
-  a  Finance Ministers' Meeting, proposed for autumn 1997  in
Thailand;
-  a  study  on economic synergy between Asia and Europe,  for
which Japan is elaborating proposals;
-  and a study on integrated railway networks, both trans-Asia
and trans-Europe, for which a paper is expected from Malaysia,
(Also  relevant  here is a study of surface  transport  routes
between  Europe  and  Asia, currently being  prepared  by  the
Commission).

Cooperation in other areas

Specific  follow-up actions agreed by the heads of  state  and
government included:
-  the establishment of an Environmental Technology Centre  in
Thailand;  a  joint  Thai/Japanese/European  study   of   this
proposal commenced in October 1996;
- the establishment of an Asia-Europe Foundation in Singapore;
a  concept  paper  has  been  prepared  by  Singapore  and  is
currently  under discussion among ASEM partners; it  is  hoped
that  the  Foundation may be launched on the occasion  of  the
Foreign Ministers' Meeting in February 1997;
-  an  Asia-Europe University Programme, for which a paper  is
awaited  from  Malaysia,  and where  the  commission  is  also
considering a possible contribution;
-  youth exchange programmes, for which both Japan and Austria
are preparing proposals;
-  a  proposed  expert  group on the promotion  of  technology
exchanges;  China  has presented an outline proposal  on  this
topic,  suggesting that the first expert group  meeting  might
take place in the first half of 1997;
-  customs  cooperation on drugs (taken  up  in  the  Shenzhen
meeting of June 1996);
-   and proposals on cooperation for development of the Mekong
Basin (for which a paper is awaited from Thailand).

A  considerable amount of detailed work is obviously  required
before  substantive proposals in these various  field  can  be
finalised,  and  the first concrete ASEM programmes  are  thus
likely  to  be approved in 1997. More generally,  it  will  be
useful  also  to bear in mind possible supportive actions  (in
addition to the specific activities decided in Bangkok)  which
can  help  contribute to the main themes  highlighted  at  the
Summit.


***********************************************************
2. ASEM CALENDAR: past and forthcoming meetings
***********************************************************
Please note:
- items with a question mark are subject to confirmation,
-  ASEM  FMM (15 February 97) will follow EU-ASEAN FMM  (13-14
February)
- Customs Cooperation Meetings are foreseen to be back-to-back
with relevant WCO meetings.

Past meetings:
***********************************************************
ASEM  1,  Asia Europe Meeting        Bangkok        1-2  March 1996

CCM, Customs Cooperation Meeting
(Directors  General)                            Shenzhen       21-22 June 1996

ASEM dialogue on UN
Preliminary Meeting                         New York       24 June 1996

WGI,
Working  Group  on Investment      Bangkok         7-9  July 1996

SOMTI
Senior  Officials' Meeting                Brussels       24-25  July 1996
on Trade & Investment

BF,   Business  Forum                    Paris            14-15 October 1996


Forthcoming meetings:
**********************************************************
SOM
Senior Officials' Meeting               Dublin         20 December 1996
(general follow-up)

SOM
Senior  Officials'  Meeting           Singapore       11-12  February
1997
(general follow-up)

FMM
Foreign Ministers' Meeting        Singapore      15 February 1997

CCM
Customs Cooperation working
group meetings
-  enforcement                              Brussels (?)   early  February 1997
-  procedures                               Brussels (?)        late  March 1997

SOMTI 2
Senior Officials' Meeting
on Trade & Investment                    Asia           Spring 1997

CCM
Customs Cooperation Meeting 2
(Directors General)                        Vienna(?)      mid June 1997 (?)

BC
Business Conference                    Indonesia (?)  July 1997 (?)

FinMM
Finance Ministers' Meeting(?)     Thailand (?)    26 September 1997

EMM
Economic  Ministers' Meeting      Tokyo (?)   28  September  1997(?)

BF 2
Business Forum 2                         Thailand       late 1997


*************************************************************
ASEM 2
Second  ASEM Summit                 London         April  1998(?)

FMM 2
Foreign Ministers' Meeting            Europe (?)          1st semester 1999 (?)

ASEM 3
Third ASEM Summit                    Seoul               2000
************************************************************
================