Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-11-14-Speech-2-276"
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"en.20001114.10.2-276"2
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". – Mr President, let me engage in a bit of continent hopping. Before reporting on the third ASEM summit and evaluating its results, let me briefly say a word about the ASEM process. The first summit in 1996 was at a time of huge optimism about Asia when people were talking about the Asian economic miracle. The second summit, in 1998, came at a time of economic crisis when many people were saying that Asia had had it and all had been much exaggerated. We saw some reality at the third summit. There was not an Asian economic miracle but a great deal that is very exciting has happened in Asia and it has recovered very rapidly in most parts from the crisis of 1997/98. Where it has done so most successfully, it has managed it by combining economic and political reform. That has been the background to these summits.
The challenge for the third summit in Seoul was to deepen the ASEM process both for governmental participants and for the broader public. It had to demonstrate that there need not be dramatic events occurring to justify meetings of European and Asian Heads of State or Government. We outlined our goals for ASEM III in our working party, we discussed it with the European Parliament before the summit on two occasions in the ASEAN working party and in the plenary which resulted, I believe, in your resolution of 5 October, the aims of which we not only took into account, but also managed to achieve in most cases.
In addition to adopting three important documents, the leaders of the summit actively engaged in discussion of sensitive issues like human rights, the South China Sea, East Timor and Burma. They pledged to promote and protect fundamental human rights and uphold respect for democracy, the rule of law, equality, justice and concern for the environment. It was agreed to intensify ASEM's high level political dialogue by drawing strength from the diversity of Members while not excluding any issue. Leaders agreed to an expanded and updated Asia-Europe cooperation framework 2000 which forms the work programme for the coming decade. The need for common efforts to implement the Kyoto Protocol was confirmed, a consumer-producer dialogue to stabilise world prices for oil was advocated as well as closer cooperation to develop energy saving technologies. Trans-national crime was discussed, the exploitation of migrants, people trafficking, the fight against illegal drugs, all those issues which, alas, form the darkest side of globalisation.
The summit adopted the separate Seoul declaration for peace on the Korean peninsula, welcoming the inter-Korean summit in June, urging both sides to continue building on its success and underlining the importance of engaging the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in multilateral dialogue. On enlargement, the two-key approach was adopted whereby a candidate country first needs the support of its regional partners before seeking endorsement from the other region. The final decision is made by consensus, by Heads of State or Government. No specific candidates were discussed at ASEM III.
In the field of economic and financial cooperation, leaders agreed to work together to address the challenges posed by globalisation, information technology
commerce and the digital divide by expanding research and information networks between the two regions. Leaders also confirmed the preparation of voluntary annual reports on the status of efforts to overcome barriers to trade as identified under the trade facilitation action plan.
There was an acceptance by all ASEM partners to work towards a new comprehensive WTO round as soon as possible, taking into account the special needs of developing countries. In the social and cultural field, leaders recognised the vital importance of better educational links with specific initiatives for promoting mutual awareness, including an enhancement of inter-university cooperation and electronic networking between schools. In the related people-to-people field, the principle of opening the ASEM process to a larger segment of civil society was maintained, although the NGO initiative to establish a social forum could not be realised because of the resistance of certain Asian partners.
I am sure Parliament can see these results are in line with the resolution of 5 October which I mentioned earlier. Human rights and the rule of law are embedded in the process; there was a clear understanding of the need for the early start of a broad-based WTO round but I am not sure that has been entirely reflected so far at the discussions at the APEC meetings in Brunei. While the proposal to establish a social forum was not accepted, we actively engaged with civil society and the NGOs and I very much hope that this area will see further progress in the run-up to ASEM IV in Copenhagen.
Finally, leaders agreed to encourage an intensification of contacts among parliamentarians as set out in the cooperation framework. Inevitably, ASEM III was dominated by the momentous developments on the Korean peninsula which have resulted in the very worthy nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize of the President of South Korea, a man whose career has been distinguished, both by his commitment to democracy and human rights and the rule of law and, most recently, to his commitment to reconciliation between the south and north of the peninsula.
I think that reminded us in Europe of the important role that we have in Asia, not just in economic and trade terms, though it has to be said that one of the reasons for Asia's recovery has been that we have kept our word to keep our markets open to Asian exports over the last two years. This year it seems very likely that China will have a surplus of EUR 40 billion with the European Union. We have kept our word in economic and commercial matters which, among other things, encourages Asia to take us rather more seriously. It is important to remember that we also have a political role in Asia, not just in our advocacy of democracy and good governance, but also in the contribution we can make in the Korean peninsula and elsewhere to stability and security for the future. The ASEM process is an important one. This was a very valuable meeting. The process is developing and strengthening with time and I look forward to the next ASEM meeting in Denmark in a couple of years' time when I am sure we will be able to build on the progress already achieved."@en1
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