Joint Declaration of the Fifth ASEAN-EC Ministerial Meeting (1984)

ASEAN and the Community, nothing that the Cooperation Agreement between ASEAN countries and the Community will come to the end of its initial five-year period in October 1985, agreed that it had fulfilled satisfactorily its role in consolidating, deepening and diversifying the cooperation between their countries. The substantive increase in their mutual trade, the increasing proportion of manufactured goods in ASEAN exports to the Community, the level of European investments in ASEAN economics and the intensification of development and provided by the European Community are examples of this fruitful cooperation.

ASEAN and the Community also discussed the prospect for deepening further their cooperation and agreed that the continuation of the agreement after October 1985 should provide the opportunity to define new priorities and directions including an examination in an appropriate manner on how to improve the operation of the Agreement. Considering that the ASEAN - EC Cooperation Agreement would soon be completing its fifth year , the Ministers felt that it would be auspicious to take stock of their cooperation, in particular, its economic aspects. Towards this end and with a view to intensifying their cooperation and further strengthening the relations between the two regions, the Ministers agreed that such a meeting of relevant Community and ASEAN Ministers be held on economic matters as soon as possible.

With the objective of providing new momentum to their cooperation and in order to continue to fulfill the aims of the agreement after October 1985, the Ministers recognised the particular importance of increased cooperation in the field of training, science and technology and the encouragement of European investments in ASEAN countries in the framework of the extended Agreement.

The Ministers reaffirmed their support for the United Nations as a universal forum for the protection of international Peace and Security and for international Cooperation and their commitment to uphold the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. They expressed their grave concern that in many parts of the world fundamental principles such as respect for sovereignty of states, the right to self determination, the non-use of force against the territorial integrity of states and respect for human rights are currently being violated. They urged the international community to work actively with the United Nations and the Secretary-General for solution of these world problems in accordance with the principles and purposes of the UN.

The Ministers reviewed in particular the two major threats to peace and stability in Asia, namely the situations in Kampuchea and Afghanistan. They expressed their deep concern at the continuation of the military interventions by foreign powers in these two independent and non-aligned countries. They condemned the illegal occupation of Kampuchea by Vietnamese troops and of Afghanistan by Soviet troops. They regretted that the Governments of Vietnam and the Soviet Union had refused to heed the repeated appeals of the international community for a withdrawal of their troops whose continued presence in these countries constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and poses a threat to international peace and security. The Ministers also were concerned that both these situations have resulted in great suffering and hardship for the people of Kampuchea and Afghanistan and imposed intolerable burdens on neighbouring states as a result of the heavy flow of refugees.

The Ministers pledged their continued support for resolutions 34/22, 35/6, 36/5, 37/6, 38/3 and 39/5 on the situation in Kampuchea which have been emphatically endorsed by the General Assembly. These resolutions call for the total withdrawal of all foreign troops from Kampuchea, the right of the Kampuchean people to determine their own destiny free from outside interference, and the restoration and preservation of Kampuchea's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. They regretted the refusal of Vietnam to accept these UN resolutions as a basis for a comprehensive political solution to the Kampuchean problem. They also expressed serious concern about reported demographic changes being imposed in Kampuchea by foreign occupation forces. For this reason, they reaffirmed that no assistance should be given to Vietnam of such a nature as to sustain and enhance the Vietnamese occupation of Kampuchea.

The Ministers emphasised their continued support for the principles and terms of the Declaration of the International Conference on Kampuchea as a basis for a genuine political settlement. They expressed their appreciation of the efforts of the President of the international Conference on Kampuchea and of the Ad Hoc Committee of the International Conference on Kampuchea to find a comprehensive political solution.

The EC Ministers commended the valuable efforts made by the ASEAN countries in their search for a comprehensive political settlement of the Kampuchean problem. In this regard they welcomed the appeal for Kampuchean Independence made by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers on 21 September 1983, the reaffirmation of that appeal and the call for national reconciliation in their joint statement on the Kampuchean problem of 9 July 1984, issued during the 17th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Jakarta. They recognised that the ASEAN efforts were motivated first and foremost by their commitment to uphold the universally accepted principles of international relations as enshrined in the United Nations Charter and, secondly, by their desire to promote peace and stability in Southeast Asia within the framework of a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality.

The Ministers condemned the recurrent attacks by the Vietnamese armed forces on civilian refugee camps along the Thai-Kampuchean border particularly in March, April and May of this year and the Vietnamese military incursions into and artillery bombardments of Thai territory, the latest of which occurred on 5th November 1984. Such attacks constitute a grave violation of fundamental humanitarian principles and the UN Charter and have resulted in casualties and deaths of innocent people living along the border. They call upon Vietnam to desist from taking these actions which will only contribute to increasing tension and worsening the security situation along the border areas.

The Ministers expressed their continuing concern at the refugee situation in the region. While welcoming progress made in resettlernent and voluntary repatriation of refugees they noted the continuing flow of refugees from Indochina and called on all those responsible to contribute to the easing of this situation. The Ministers reiterated the importance they attach to the provision of durable solutions for the problems of the refugees and they underlined the need for the international community to play its part in the attainment of these solutions. In this connection, they commended those countries, including EC Member States, which have provided resettlement opportunities for refugees. The Ministers noted the progress that has been made in the implementation of the Orderly Departure Programme (ODP) and the voluntary repatriation programme operated by the UNHCR and they urged all countries concerned to cooperate in their implementation. The EC Ministers recorded their appreciation of the contribution made by ASEAN to the alleviation of the refugee situations through granting first refuge and assistance as well as safety measures undertaken for the protection of refugees. It is essential to continue to provide adequate protection for refugees. The EC Ministers noted that the ASEAN countries deemed the extension of first refuge as dependent on the commitment of resettlement in third countries and the avoidance of residual problems. The ASEAN Ministers expressed their gratitude to the Community and its Member States for their continued support and assistance for refugee relief programmes in ASEAN countries, both bilateral and through the international and non-governmental organisations engaged in this field.

The Ministers paid tribute to the United Nations Secretary-General for his humanitarian efforts in seeking to alleviate the plight of the refugees. They paid tribute in particular to the United Nations Border Relief operation, the World Food Programme, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the international Committee of the Red Cross and other inter- governmental and non-governmental organisations for their invaluable work in the alleviation of the sufferings in the area.

The Ministers considered the tragic situation in Afghanistan and agreed that it continues to pose a serious threat to international peace and security. They expressed their deep concern that, almost five years after the military invasion of Afghanistan, the Soviet Union remains in occupation of that traditionally neutral and non-aligned country in open violation of international law. They deplored the sufferings and hardships inflicted on the Afghan people by the continued Soviet occupation and by the use of extensive shelling and bombing of civilian areas. The Ministers, recalling the plight of the Afghan refugees forced to flee their homeland, strongly urged the creation of conditions which would enable the refugees to return home in safety and honour. The Ministers noted with deep concern the continuing military activity from within Afghanistan leading to attacks on Afghan refugees and civilians on Pakistan territory and condemned these violations of Pakistan's border.

The Ministers stressed the urgent need to seek a just and lasting solution which would ensure the immediate withdrawal of Soviet troops, the restoration of Afghanistan's independence and non-aligned status, the right of the Afghan people to determine their own future and the return of the refugees on the conditions stated above. They regretted that all appeals by the United Nations, the Islamic Conference and the Movement of Non- Aligned countries for a withdrawal of Soviet troops and a comprehensive settlement have gone unheeded by the Soviet Union.

The Ministers noted the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his personal representative to achieve a political solution based on the principles of the UN resolutions on Afghanistan. They regretted, however, that the Soviet Union had not yet made the necessary positive contribution to enable these efforts to succeed.

The Ministers also discussed the present state of East/West relations. They agreed that efforts to keep open the channels of dialogue between East and West should be continued. They recognised the importance of working to place these relations on a more stable and predictable basis. The Ministers regarded the recent high-level contact between the United States and the Soviet Union as a positive development and they called for continued progress towards genuine detonate on the basis of effective respect for the interests and rights of all states according to the principles and purposes of the UN Charter.

The Ministers exchanged views and informed each other of their respective positions on the range of problems affecting the Middle East. They viewed with concern the lack of progress towards a lasting settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict and they emphasised the urgent need for progress to this end. They reaffirmed their support for the efforts in favour of the re-establishment of full sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and unity of Lebanon.

They expressed their concern at the continuation of conflict between Iran and Iraq and the resultant increased tension in the Gulf area. They urged both sides in the conflict to end military activities in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions and to begin negotiations to find an honourable peaceful solution acceptable to both sides. The Ministers also noted with interest and welcomed the peace efforts undertaken by concerned parties such as the United Nations, the Non-Aligned countries and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.

The Ministers noted the continuing development of contacts between parliamentarians of the two regions including in particular the visit of a delegation from the European Parliament to Bangkok in October, 1984.

The Ministers agreed on the significance of the social and cultural dimension of their cooperation. The Ministers commended programmes such as the exchange of journalists, seminars and study tours that have been organised both by private and public institutions in ASEAN as well as in the European Community countries. The Ministers also agreed that there is a need to enhance and upgrade this area of cooperation in the future.

The Ministers viewed with serious concern the increasing incidence of drug abuse and trafficking and agreed to cooperate wherever possible in taking preventive and remedial action against this menace.

Turning to the international economic situation, the Ministers were encouraged by recent signs of recovery. They noted however, that this was not sufficiently broad-based. They stressed the need for both sides to collaborate and to consider the possibility of promoting appropriate actions with the aim of contributing to the global economic recovery in particular for the benefit of developing countries. In this context, they emphasised the need for closer and more fruitful cooperation between industrialised and developing countries both in their bilateral relations and in the framework of international organisations, in order to ensure that global economic recovery would bring about mutual benefits.

ASEAN and the Community stressed the mutual gains derived from international trade and the important role it had played in promoting world economic growth. In this context, the Ministers pledged to explore opportunities for further trade liberalisation recognising that increased access to markets is an effective means for disseminating the benefits of the current economic recovery particularly to developing countries. They reaffirmed the need to resist protectionist pressures in the formulation and implementation of trade policy and refrain from taking measures Inconsistent with GATT. Towards this end, they agreed to work together to the full implementation of the Tokyo Round commitments and to fulfill the objectives of the 1982 GATT Ministerial Meeting and to complete the Work Programme which was agreed to at that meeting.

ASEAN and the Community renewed their commitment to maintain and improve further access to their respective markets. They agreed that efforts should be made to avoid tariff reclassification and to remove existing and to refrain from adopting non-tariff measures and their policies which adversely affect their mutual exports. In resolving bilateral trade problems, they agreed that all means should be explored to determine and avail mutually beneficial trade and economic opportunities and to find satisfactory, mutual and effective solutions to the problems.

In respect of the GSP, the Community reiterated its commitment to the basic principles of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP). It agreed that in the improvement and implementation of the existing and second. phase of the Community's GSP scheme from 1986 to 1990, it would take into account the interests and needs of the ASEAN countries to ensure the maximisation of their economic benefit consistent with all the basic principles underlying the GSP. They recalled the commitment on consultation take at international level and the established Community practice in this respect.

ASEAN and the Community recognised the positive effect of the Community trade promotion assistance programme. They will seek to secure the timely implementation of the programme and to expand it on a regional and bilateral basis with the objective of enhancing the export capabilities of the ASEAN countries.

The Ministers underlined the problems concerning the external indebtedness of some developing countries including the adverse effects of the debt service burden on the development efforts of those countries and the wide economic trade and social implications of continued indebtedness for those countries. They called upon all parties concerned to pursue efforts in the appropriate framework to find a solution to this situation.

Stressing the importance of commodities for the economies of the ASEAN countries, the Ministers underlined the necessity of stable market and the need for equitable and remunerative international prices for commodities. The Ministers reiterated their commitments for closer cooperation necessary for achieving the objectives of the Integrated Programme for Commodities, in particular, the establishment of individual commodity agreements. They also reiterated the value of putting the common Fund into operation as early as possible.

They renewed their commitment to the effective operation of the International Tin Agreement.

They declared their willingness to negotiate a new International Rubber Agreement in a constructive spirit.

The Ministers expressed the hope that efforts made during the recent negotiations on the International Sugar Agreement will not be in vain and that it will be possible to resume the negotiations, as provided for in the administrative agreement.

As for the recently concluded negotiation on the international Tropical Timber Agreement, the Ministers stressed the importance they attach to an early establishment of the International Tropical Timber Organisation. In this respect they underlined their commitment to the Agreement and stated that they will take the necessary steps to become a member of the Organisation. They urged all major producing and consuming countries to act likewise.

Regarding the renegotiation of the international Cocoa Agreement the Ministers urged all major producing and consuming countries to become parties to the renegotiated agreement.

The Ministers agreed to cooperate with all parties concerned in the launching of global negotiations on international economic cooperation for development within the United Nations system on a basis acceptable to all.

Both ASEAN and the Community stressed the importance of increased European investments in the ASEAN region. They agreed that it was in their mutual interest to study seriously the appropriate means of extending cooperation in the financial sector, including the possibility of closer regional banking and business contacts and of drawing upon the experience of the European Investment Bank. The Ministers agreed to encourage the EC - ASEAN Business Council to strengthen their contacts for the purpose of promoting investments in the ASEAN region. They also urged the European - ASEAN Business Council to give priority to the transfer of technology in their collaboration and investment programmes

The ASEAN Ministers expressed their appreciation for the training grants provided by the Community to ASEAN in various fields. The Ministers recognised the importance of training of ASEAN nationals as a means of promoting the social and economic development of the ASEAN region. The ASEAN Ministers urged the Community to continue to provide assistance and expand the areas of and increase training opportunities covering also the manufacturing and technical fields, and in particular that the assistance from the Community could be in support of the expansion of institutions in ASEAN countries which contribute to regional development.

ASEAN and the Community noted with satisfaction the progress achieved in the field of science and technology cooperation undertaken within the framework of the Cooperation Agreement. They expressed interest in cooperation in the field of energy between ASEAN and Community institutions.

ASEAN and the Community recognised the importance of development cooperation as a pillar for socio-economic development of the ASEAN region and emphasised the importance of sustained and satisfactory participation of the Community in ASEAN's development efforts.

The EC Ministers recognised ASEAN as a cohesive regional grouping playing an independent and positive role in the search for peace and stability in South East Asia. The ASEAN Ministers expressed their appreciation of the important role of the European Community as a stabilising influence in a world facing many problems. Both sides acknowledged that their respective efforts were enhanced by their close and friendly cooperation.