ASEAN-CAMBODIA


Since her application to join ASEAN on 23 March 1996, Cambodia has continued to develop the institutions necessary for membership. More than 10 officials have joined the ASEAN General Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFA&IC). An ASEAN Department has also been established in the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), which is the backbone of Cambodia's National AFTA Unit. Two senior MEF officials were among the six Cambodians who underwent intensive training at the ASEAN Secretariat during a two-week attachment programme in January 1997 with funding support from the UNDP. So far thirteen Cambodian officials have been trained while on attachment at the ASEAN Secretariat for a duration ranging from two to five weeks.

Fifteen senior officials from several line ministries, led by the Director-General of ASEAN-Cambodia (MFA&IC), visited the ASEAN Secretariat for a one-day briefing in April 1997. The Director-General also represented Cambodia in consultations with the ASC's Working Group on Membership of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar and attended the Third and Fourth Meetings of the 30th ASC held in Trengganu and Bali in March and May 1997, respectively.

To prepare for ASEAN's economic cooperation arrangements, particularly the CEPT Scheme for AFTA, Cambodia's Senior Minister in charge of Rehabilitation and Development and Minister of Economy and Finance met with the ASEAN Economic Ministers in September 1996 during the 28th AEM Meeting in Jakarta. In addition, Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Works and Transport, together with the respective Ministers of Transport from Laos and Myanmar, attended the Second ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting in Chiang Mai in February 1997 as Observer.

Senior economic officials from Cambodia held consultations with SEOM in Surabaya in February 1997 and in Ho Chi Minh City during the Second Meeting of the 28th SEOM in April 1997. At the Ho Chi Minh City meeting, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar were invited to attend SEOM for the first time as Observers. This is part of ASEAN's efforts to help familiarize the three prospective Member Countries with issues and activities in the sphere of ASEAN economic cooperation. In addition, SEOM has set up a Working Group on Accession of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar into Economic Agreements in ASEAN. The Working Group held its first series of consultations with the CLM countries in Bali in March 1997.

The Chairman of SEOM led an ASEAN delegation to Phnom Penh in April 1997 for consultations. As a result of the consultations, the Senior Minister in charge of Rehabilitation and Development and Minister of Economy and Finance of Cambodia sent a letter to the Chairman of the AEM reaffirming, among others, Cambodia's commitments to acceding to all ASEAN economic agreements and fulfilling all her obligations.

At the bilateral level, individual ASEAN Member Countries have assisted Cambodia in human resources development (HRD) activities and provided computers and other office equipment to Cambodian government offices dealing with ASEAN affairs. The HRD activities hosted by various ASEAN countries included training in English language, diplomacy, ASEAN affairs, customs and other familiarization tours.

However, the unfurling of the unfortunate events in Cambodia in early July 1997 led the ASEAN Foreign Ministers to convene another Special Meeting on 10 July 1997 to examine the situation in Cambodia. The Special Meeting agreed that the admission of Laos and Myanmar would proceed as scheduled, whereas the admission of Cambodia be delayed until a later date.