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ASEAN-EEC Joint Declaration
Kuala Lumpur, 7 March 1980 |
- A meeting at Ministerial level between the European Communities and their Member States and the Association of South East Asian Nations was held in Kuala Lumpur on 7 March 1980.
- Those participating in the meeting were:
On the ASEAN side:
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- His Excellency Mr. Mochtar Kusumaatmadja
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia
His Excellency Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malaysia
His Excellency General Carlos P. Romulo
Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Philippines
His Excellency Mr. S. Rajaratnam
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore
His Excellency Air Chief Marshall
Siddhi Savetsila
Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand
- On the European side:
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- His Excellency Attillo Ruffini
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy and
President of the Council
His Excellency Mr. Gaston Thorn
Vice-President of the Government,
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg
His Excellency Dr. C.A. van der Klaauw
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Netherlands
The Rt Hon.
The Lord Carrington K C M G, M C
Secretary of State, Foreign and
Commonwealth Office
His Excellency Mr. Robert Urbain
Minister for Foreign Trade of Belgium
His Excellency W. K. Olesen
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark
His Excellency Mr. Hans-Dietrich Genscher
Minister for Foreign Affairs of the
Federal Republic of Germany
His Excellency Mr. M. Oliver Stirn
Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs of France
His Excellency Mr. Brian Lenihan
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ireland
His Excellency Mr. Wilhelm Haferkamp
Vice-President of the Commission of the
European Communities
- His Excellency Mr. Mochtar Kusumaatmadja acted as spokesman for ASEAN.
- His Excellency Mr. Attilio Ruffini and His Excellency Mr. Wilhelm Haferkamp acted as spokesmen for the European Communities and their Member States.
- His Excellency Datuk Ali bin Abdullah, the Secretary General of the ASEAN Secretariat was present.
His Excellency Mr. N. Hommel, Secretary General of the Council of the European Communities was also present.
- The Ministers of the European Community and ASEAN reviewed matters relating to the world economic situation as a whole as well as the areas of cooperation between ASEAN and the Community within the frame work of the Cooperation Agreement.
- They agreed that the signing of the ASEAN-EC Cooperation Agreement marks the beginning of a new stage in cooperation between the two organisations and their member states. In affirming their Commitment to the principles and to the concrete measures contained in the documents, they confirmed that the Cooperation Agreement is a strong manifestation of the political will of both sides to intensify ASEAN-EC Cooperation.
A. International Relations
- They emphasised that the increased economic interdependence between nations requires continued cooperation in the search for solutions that reflect the mutual benefit, common interest and the responsibilities of the parties concerned.
- They underlined the urgency of engaging in a new joint effort at international level to deal with major economic issues including those in the field of raw materials, energy, trade, development, money and finance and to formulate a new international development strategy for the Third UN Development Decade. They stressed the importance of the endeavours now underway to start global negotiations in order to deal with these issues of development and growth and pledged to cooperate constructively in resolving outstanding issues in UNCTAD, The North-South dialogue, UNIDO, GATT and in other international and specialized agencies for the restoration of world economic stability leading to a new international economic order.
- The Ministers welcomed the agreements reached at the GATT MTN. The Community hopes that the ASEAN countries will accede to the results of the Tokyo round, especially the various agreements, and will collaborate actively in putting these into effect. The ASEAN Ministers however noted that the results fell short of ASEAN's expectations. The Ministers welcomed agreements reached in UNCTAD including the Integrated Programme for Commodities as adopted and the international Natural Rubber Agreement. They agreed that these agreements should be implemented speedily in a spirit of cooperation. The Ministers expressed their willingness to continue to cooperate closely to establish other individual commodity agreements or arrangements of mutual interest to the two regions. They also expressed the hope that the current negotiations on the articles of the Agreement on the Common Fund would reach a rapid and successful conclusion, thus enabling the Fund to be put into operation in 1980.
- The Ministers agreed on the need to maintain free and open trading conditions in order to avoid protectionism and to promote the recovery and restructuring of the world economy through expanding international trade. The Community and ASEAN will improve their commercial cooperation and will extend and diversify their mutual relations through strengthened consultation.
B. Community-ASEAN Relations
- The Ministers of the European Community and ASEAN expressed their genuine and sincere desire to give impetus and substance to the Cooperation Agreement in a spirit of cooperation and consultation-on the basis of equality, respect and mutual benefit-in order to meet the mutual needs and aspirations of the two regions and in particular to accelerate economic development of the ASEAN region to enhance its role as a corner stone of political stability in Southeast Asia.
- The Community expressed its appreciation of the positive steps taken by the ASEAN countries o strengthen their regional cooperation. The Community reiterated its willingness to provide all possible assistance for ASEAN efforts towards closer regional cooperation.
- ASEAN Ministers welcomed the commitment from the Community to respond to the needs of the region, particularly in further developing an enlightened and positive approach within the framework of its assistance for nonassociated developing countries. In particular, ASEAN expressed the hope that the Community would within the framework of its programme develop an evolutionary approach so as to further take into account the specific nature of the development of ASEAN countries which requires long term support. This would enhance and consolidate ASEAN-EC relations in the coming decades. Both parties agreed that there is a need to expand financial resources that can be made available especially through co-financing of projects by the Community and its member states.
- They reviewed the areas here cooperation between ASEAN and EEC should be developed in the framework of the Cooperation Agreement they have signed.
- Commercial Cooperation
a). The Community and ASEAN agreed on the need to develop, expand and diversify their two-way trade to the fullest extent possible.
b). Both sides undertook to take fully into account their respective interests and needs for, and agreed to work towards, improved market access for manufactures, semi-manufactures and primary products as well as the further processing of resources.
c). Both parties undertook to consider favourably the possibility of promoting suitable arrangements among economic operators concerning long-term supply of raw materials and commodities, including the field of mining, taking into account commitments in multilateral arrangements such as international commodity agreements as well as producers' processing interests and needs including their desire for the expansion of processing activities and for remunerative and stable earnings.
d). The Community reaffirmed its attachment to the basic objectives of the generalised scheme of preferences and stated that it would continue with the implementation of this scheme after 1980 in a way which will take fully into account the economic development needs of developing countries including ASEAN.
e). ASEAN expressed its appreciation for the assistance given by the Community in the past in the field of trade promotion. The Community confirmed its willingness to improve and expand the trade position activities for ASEAN and welcomed the establishment of an ASEAN Trade Promotion Centre in the Community.
f). Both parties reiterated their commitment made in the Cooperation Agreement that they will seek the other party's views insofar as possible where measures are being considered which could have an adverse effect on trade between the to regions.
g). The Community Ministers noted the interest of the ASEAN Ministers in guarantees within a global context for the stabilization of the export earnings of developing countries, taking into account ASEAN's needs.
- Economic Cooperation
a). Both sides expressed their satisfaction at the substantial success of the Jakarta Conference on Industrial Cooperation and pointed out the necessity to follow-up and build upon the result of this Conference. The Community confirmed its intention to continue and intensify the promotion of contracts between economic operators of the two regional groupings in particular through the organization of conferences of a more specific nature and meetings for individual sectors.
b). The Ministers noted with satisfaction the progress made towards the establishment of the EEC-ASEAN Business Council for relevant business organizations and will support measures to help its formation and its functioning. This Council should provide the natural framework for establishing and fostering the contacts and deepening the mutual knowledge between private economic operators already initiated in Jakarta in 1978. The Ministers stressed that they welcomed positive initiatives for soundly based projects especially those that promote greater regional and inter-regional cooperation.
c). Both sides recognized the importance of a further expansion and intensification of processing of ASEAN commodities within the region with comparative economic advantage which would have a great impact on and offer wider scope for ASEAN economic development.
d). The Ministers confirmed their mutual interest in encouraging community member states' investments in the ASEAN countries. They recognized the continuing efforts of ASEAN countries to improve the investments climate in the region and affirmed their readiness to encourage investments in productive fields to enhance development, employment, and the transfer of technology. Accordingly, the Ministers reaffirmed their desire to improve the already favourable investment climate through encouraging the conclusion of investment promotion and protection arrangement between the countries concerned.
e). Both parties agreed on the necessity to develop their overall cooperation in the economic field with particular stress on the field of mining and energy, particularly non-conventional sources of energy.
f). The Ministers recognised the increasing importance of the role of science and technology in promoting social and economic development of the developing countries and undertook to intensify scientific and technical cooperation. The Ministers agreed to initiate joint studies to identify priority areas of cooperation between EEC and ASEAN, to strengthen the national scientific and technological capabilities of the ASEAN countries, and to assist in the provision of fellowships, training and consultancy services to ASEAN countries.
- Development Cooperation
a). The Community recognises that ASEAN is a developing region. The Community welcomes and will encourage any positive step taken by ASEAN to strengthen its regional cooperation.
b). In parallel with the projects proposed by individual countries, the Community will take all possible measures to intensify its support, in the framework of its programme in favour of the non-associated developing countries, for ASEAN regional projects. ASEAN undertook to work closely with the Community to facilitate the identification and implementation of regional projects. The Community reemphasised development cooperation activities of the Community and its member states in the ASEAN region, especially in relation to ASEAN regional projects.
c). Both parties expressed their willingness to cooperate for mutual benefit on projects including self-sufficiency on food product-ton in the ASEAN regions, storage and distribution, land development, water utilisation, transportation and communications. Such development cooperation should cover both programmes specifically needed in ASEAN member countries and those covering the region.
d). Both parties expressed their willingness to strengthen the already existing cooperation in the field of transfer of technology and training assistance. In this contact, the Community will continue financing the current programme of seminars on transfers of technology and will expand the training and educational assistance programme for scientific, technical, industrial and related personnel from the ASEAN countries.
e). The, Ministers recognised the importance of encouraging and facilitating greater cooperation in the field of finance, through the promotion of intensified contacts between private and public finance institutions in the member states of the Community and in the ASEAN region.
- The Ministers reviewed the work of the joint Study Group and expressed satisfaction with the results achieved so far. In order to give effect to the objectives of the Cooperation Agreement, they agreed that the joint Cooperation Committee, established under the agreement, should meet as soon as possible, the venue of such meetings to alternate between ASEAN and the Community. The Ministers welcomed the offer of the Philippine Government to host the first meeting of the Committee.
C. Cultural Cooperation
- ASEAN and the Community agreed to enhance cooperation in the cultural field. In particular:
a). The Ministers agreed to intensify cultural exchanges so as to promote better under- standing among the peoples of the two regions: towards this end, they agreed to promote contacts between cultural institutions, visits and study tours of both regions in specialized fields.
b). Some member states of the Community and the Commission agreed to award more scholarships to ASEAN member countries, interalia, in the fields of arts, theater, library, media, museum, traditional sports and games. languages and literature, archeology, and other aspects of culture and information. They also agreed to coordinate such offers in consultation with ASEAN.
- The Ministers agreed that the Cooperation Agreement has ushered in a new era in the relations between ASEAN and the Community and expressed their determination to fully implement the provisions of the Agreement to the mutual benefit of the Governments and peoples of the Community and ASEAN.
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