Visa-free Access, Us And French Ties On Busy Asean Agenda

[george]

Visa-free access, US and French ties on busy ASEAN agenda

SINGAPORE: -- Greater visa-free regional travel, strengthened economic ties with the US, and a non-aggression pact with France will keep Southeast Asian foreign ministers busy when they meet in Malaysia this week.

While tensions involving Stalinist North Korea and military-ruled Myanmar are expected to top the agenda, other key issues will also be under discussion at the annual gathering by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its dialogue partners.

ASEAN foreign ministers begin talks Monday, followed later in the week by the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on security issues involving the US, China, India, Japan, Russia and South Korea, among others.

One of the documents expected to be signed is a pact aimed at boosting tourism by allowing two-week visa-free entry for ASEAN nationals travelling within the block.

ASEAN will also move to strengthen trade and investment ties with the US under a five-year plan of action to be signed Thursday.

Under the plan, both sides will work towards an ASEAN-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) that will serve as a mechanism to ease trade and investment flows.

'This ASEAN-US plan of action is predicated on the position that the United States would like to do more to open up its trade with ASEAN countries,' ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong told AFP.

ASEAN is also 'keen to do more because the potential of doing trade with the USA is still so great and we have not yet fully gotten the best out of it,' he said.

The ASEAN region hosts about 88 bln usd in direct US investments and is the third largest overseas market for American exports, ASEAN spokesman M.C. Abad said.

Two-way ASEAN-US trade totalled 136 bln usd in 2005 and US exports to ASEAN countries support nearly 800,000 American jobs, Abad said.

On Friday, ASEAN and Canada are scheduled to sign a joint declaration to combat international 'terrorism' while Bangladesh will for the first time join ARF meetings.

Capping ASEAN's external diplomacy thrust will be the signing by France on Friday of the regional block's non-aggression pact, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

France has scored a 'strategic coup in ASEAN' with the move, said Michael Vatikiotis, a senior visiting fellow at Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

The signing will enable French President Jacques Chirac to attend ASEAN's annual leaders' summit as an official delegate and entitles France to a seat in regional security discussions. The summit will be held in the Philippines in December.

The US and Britain, the two other permanent Council members, have not signed the pact.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

--AFP 2006-07-25

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Visa-free access, US and French ties on busy ASEAN agenda

SINGAPORE: -- Greater visa-free regional travel, strengthened economic ties with the US, and a non-aggression pact with France will keep Southeast Asian foreign ministers busy when they meet in Malaysia this week.

While tensions involving Stalinist North Korea and military-ruled Myanmar are expected to top the agenda, other key issues will also be under discussion at the annual gathering by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its dialogue partners.

ASEAN foreign ministers begin talks Monday, followed later in the week by the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on security issues involving the US, China, India, Japan, Russia and South Korea, among others.

One of the documents expected to be signed is a pact aimed at boosting tourism by allowing two-week visa-free entry for ASEAN nationals travelling within the block.

ASEAN will also move to strengthen trade and investment ties with the US under a five-year plan of action to be signed Thursday.

Under the plan, both sides will work towards an ASEAN-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) that will serve as a mechanism to ease trade and investment flows.

'This ASEAN-US plan of action is predicated on the position that the United States would like to do more to open up its trade with ASEAN countries,' ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong told AFP.

ASEAN is also 'keen to do more because the potential of doing trade with the USA is still so great and we have not yet fully gotten the best out of it,' he said.

The ASEAN region hosts about 88 bln usd in direct US investments and is the third largest overseas market for American exports, ASEAN spokesman M.C. Abad said.

Two-way ASEAN-US trade totalled 136 bln usd in 2005 and US exports to ASEAN countries support nearly 800,000 American jobs, Abad said.

On Friday, ASEAN and Canada are scheduled to sign a joint declaration to combat international 'terrorism' while Bangladesh will for the first time join ARF meetings.

Capping ASEAN's external diplomacy thrust will be the signing by France on Friday of the regional block's non-aggression pact, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

France has scored a 'strategic coup in ASEAN' with the move, said Michael Vatikiotis, a senior visiting fellow at Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

The signing will enable French President Jacques Chirac to attend ASEAN's annual leaders' summit as an official delegate and entitles France to a seat in regional security discussions. The summit will be held in the Philippines in December.

The US and Britain, the two other permanent Council members, have not signed the pact.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

--AFP 2006-07-25

Does this represent some sort of change ?

[Khun Jean]

I thought someone with 21,896 posts would know how to add a reply to a post. The famous long quotes of a message just above it with a "one liner" is very irritating and very specific behaviour of this poster.

Using the "Add reply" instead of the "Reply" button will solve the problem. Sorry for the remark but it is a really bad habit.

And to be on topic.

I really hope this has a positive impact on the situation in Myanmar.

The people there really deserve a better government.

[jdinasia]

Visa-free access, US and French ties on busy ASEAN agenda

SINGAPORE: -- Greater visa-free regional travel, strengthened economic ties with the US, and a non-aggression pact with France will keep Southeast Asian foreign ministers busy when they meet in Malaysia this week.

While tensions involving Stalinist North Korea and military-ruled Myanmar are expected to top the agenda, other key issues will also be under discussion at the annual gathering by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its dialogue partners.

ASEAN foreign ministers begin talks Monday, followed later in the week by the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on security issues involving the US, China, India, Japan, Russia and South Korea, among others.

One of the documents expected to be signed is a pact aimed at boosting tourism by allowing two-week visa-free entry for ASEAN nationals travelling within the block.

ASEAN will also move to strengthen trade and investment ties with the US under a five-year plan of action to be signed Thursday.

Under the plan, both sides will work towards an ASEAN-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) that will serve as a mechanism to ease trade and investment flows.

'This ASEAN-US plan of action is predicated on the position that the United States would like to do more to open up its trade with ASEAN countries,' ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong told AFP.

ASEAN is also 'keen to do more because the potential of doing trade with the USA is still so great and we have not yet fully gotten the best out of it,' he said.

The ASEAN region hosts about 88 bln usd in direct US investments and is the third largest overseas market for American exports, ASEAN spokesman M.C. Abad said.

Two-way ASEAN-US trade totalled 136 bln usd in 2005 and US exports to ASEAN countries support nearly 800,000 American jobs, Abad said.

On Friday, ASEAN and Canada are scheduled to sign a joint declaration to combat international 'terrorism' while Bangladesh will for the first time join ARF meetings.

Capping ASEAN's external diplomacy thrust will be the signing by France on Friday of the regional block's non-aggression pact, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

France has scored a 'strategic coup in ASEAN' with the move, said Michael Vatikiotis, a senior visiting fellow at Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

The signing will enable French President Jacques Chirac to attend ASEAN's annual leaders' summit as an official delegate and entitles France to a seat in regional security discussions. The summit will be held in the Philippines in December.

The US and Britain, the two other permanent Council members, have not signed the pact.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

--AFP 2006-07-25

Does this represent some sort of change ?

if it applies to all ASEAN member nations ,, then yes ...

<I almost quoted both posts for KJ>

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I thought someone with 21,896 posts would know how to add a reply to a post. The famous long quotes of a message just above it with a "one liner" is very irritating and very specific behaviour of this poster.

Using the "Add reply" instead of the "Reply" button will solve the problem. Sorry for the remark but it is a really bad habit.

And to be on topic.

I really hope this has a positive impact on the situation in Myanmar.

The people there really deserve a better government.

You do it your way and I'll do it my way. And you are definitely not sorry for sniping which is also very irritating and very specific to your posts.

[percy2]

I thought someone with 21,896 posts would know how to add a reply to a post. The famous long quotes of a message just above it with a "one liner" is very irritating and very specific behaviour of this poster.

Using the "Add reply" instead of the "Reply" button will solve the problem. Sorry for the remark but it is a really bad habit.

And to be on topic.

I really hope this has a positive impact on the situation in Myanmar.

The people there really deserve a better government.

You do it your way and I'll do it my way. And you are definitely not sorry for sniping which is also very irritating and very specific to your posts.

You two should get along fine you have something in common

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Not at all Perce. I'm not a bloody Dutchman.

[Khun Jean]

Just a cluesless admin who never heard of Netiquette.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Just a cluesless admin who never heard of Netiquette.

Well said