ASEAN-EUROPEAN UNION
284. The last twelve months have seen intensive activities in furthering cooperation between ASEAN and the European Union (EU). The most significant event was the inaugural Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) which was held in Bangkok from 1-2 March 1996. The ASEM, had been proposed by H.E. Mr. Goh Chok Tong, Prime Minister of Singapore and supported by his ASEAN counterparts. The Meeting brought together the Heads of State and Government from the fifteen EU Member Countries and the ten Asian countries.
The latter group consisted of the ASEAN Member Countries, People' s Republic of China, Japan and Republic of Korea. Also present at the Meeting were the Foreign Ministers of the participating countries, the President of the European Commission and the Secretary-General of ASEAN.
285. The ASEM concluded with the forging of a new comprehensive Asia-Europe Partnership for Greater Growth which aims at strengthening links between Asia and Europe thereby contributing to peace, global stability and prosperity. Several initiatives were also made to enhance economic cooperation between the two regions. Of particular interest were those concerned with liberalisation and facilitation of trade and investments, with an initial emphasis on WTO issues. These initiatives include the following:
(a) drawing up of an Asia-Europe Investment Promotion Action Plan;
(b) setting up of an Asia-Europe Business Forum; and
(c) integrating a railway network linking the trans-Asian railway and the trans-Europe railway through the participation of the EU in the railway project of the Mekong Basin.
286. In the area of development cooperation, the ASEM also proposed the establishment of an Asia-Europe Environmental Technology Centre, an Asia-Europe University Programme and the creation of an Asia-Europe Foundation to promote cultural exchange.
287. The 12th ASEAN-EC Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) Meeting in Brussels commissioned an Asia-Invest Programme which made available a number of instruments to promote business co-operation activities. These activities included business sectoral meetings (Asia-Enterprises) and large multi-sectoral events (Asia Partenariat) with the participation of ASEAN Member Countries.
288. The ASEAN activity which resulted from this 3-5 October 1995 Meeting is the"EU-ASEAN Partenariat". The event, to be held in Singapore back-to-back with the next ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting (AEMM) in February 1997, will bring together more than 600 EU and ASEAN SMEs from six industrial sectors for possible long- term business cooperation.
289. The 12th ASEAN-EC JCC Meeting also brought about two initiatives to promote mutual awareness. The first was the convening of a Cultural Forum in Venice, 18-19 January 1996 and the second was the formulation of a Junior EU-ASEAN Managers Programme. Both were implemented with great success.
290. To promote private sector cooperation, the EC has established three European Business Information Centres (EBICs) in ASEAN. The EBICs, which facilitate information exchange between the private sector in the two regions and encourage joint-ventures between them in third countries, are located in Manila, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Another EBIC will be established in Jakarta while a Regional EBIC may be established in Singapore.
291. In late 1995, the EC commenced its work to implement the "Institutional Development Programme for the ASEAN Secretariat". The Programme, supported with a grant of 506,000 ECU from the EC, is designed to
(i) enhance the professionalism of the staff in the ASEAN Secretariat by introducing them to a wider range of perspectives and methods in regional policy making; and
(ii) develop the Secretariat into a central institution and information centre capable of providing technical support to major ASEAN activities and collaborative endeavours with institutions outside ASEAN.
292. Finally, an ASEAN-EU Eminent Persons Group (EPG) was formed in October 1995 to study the future direction of ASEAN-EU relations. The Group had met three times since its formation. In Madrid in december 1995, In Manila in March 1996 and in Vienna in June 1996, where it submitted a final report entitled A Strategy for a New Partnership. The report sets out the strategies for both ASEAN and EU to effectively support the multilateral trading system and enhance regional and global security and stability. The report also deals with the improvement of economic prosperity and employment, living standards and the social well-being of the populations of both regions.