The European Union (EU) and the Association of South East Asian
Nations (ASEAN) said Thursday in a joint statement that the two
regional organizations will seek to expand their cooperation with
an "enhanced partnership."
The Nuremberg Declaration, adopted by the two blocs on
Thursday after a two-day meeting of foreign ministers from the EU
and ASEAN, is of "strategic significance" for the development of
both regions, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told
reporters.
The declaration is the starting point for an even more intensive
cooperation between Europe and Southeast Asia on issues such as
regional security and climate change, said Steinmeier, whose
country holds the rotating EU presidency.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, in the chair of ASEAN,
said the two regions share common views and interest in the efforts
to pursue world peace and prosperity.
The talks on the issues including regional security and climate
change with the EU counterparts are "fruitful," he said.
EU chief diplomat Javier Solana also hailed the meeting as
"constructive," saying the two regional organizations' common
wishes and approaches to solve the world's most burning issues are
"impressive."
Europe has called for more involvement by ASEAN countries in the
Mideast peace process. At least two countries, Indonesia and
Malaysia, have been "very active" on the issue, according to
Solana.
Steinmeier has described Southeast Asia as a region that
"comprises both stable communities and considerable instability,"
referring to the terrorist attacks in Bali, Indonesia, in 2002.
The recent successful joint monitoring mission in the
conflict-torn Indonesian province of Aceh has offered "new grounds
for cooperation" between the EU and ASEAN, he said.
Climate change is also among the most urgent challenges that the
two sides can not afford to ignore, said Steinmeier.
The ambitious EU goal to fight climate change can only be
achieved "if other international partners come on board," he
said.
The EU leaders agreed last week in Brussels to set a binding
target of 20 percent of renewable sources in EU energy consumption
by 2020 in an ambitious strategy to fight climate change.
Meanwhile, the Europeans are seeking to expand economic
cooperation with the ASEAN countries, said Steinmeier, noting that
the EU is ASEAN's second largest export market and third largest
trading partner after the United States and Japan.
The EU is looking into possibility of a free trade agreement
with ASEAN and meanwhile is also negotiating comprehensive
partnership agreements with a number of ASEAN states.
The ASEAN leaders agreed in January to establish a free-trade zone
by 2015, five years earlier than previously proposed.
ASEAN with a total population of 500 million people groups
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei,
Vietnam, Myanmar, the Lao People's Democratic Republic and
Cambodia.
(Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2007)
