ID :
86420
Tue, 10/27/2009 - 19:11
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/86420
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(EDITORIAL from the Korea Herald on Oct. 27) - Words and actions
President Lee Myung-bak returned home late Sunday from a week-long tour of Southeast Asia, which Cheong Wa Dae aides described as fruitful in laying the groundwork for his New Asia Initiative. After visiting Vietnam and Cambodia, the president met Southeast Asian leaders in the peculiar style of the annual ASEAN-sponsored series of summits held in the order of a Korea-ASEAN summit, the ASEAN Plus Three along with China and Japan and the East Asian Summit joined by
Australia, New Zealand and India.
For the past 20 years, Korea has had links with ASEAN as a dialogue partner and
the Northeast and Southeast Asian blocs have since formed the 10-year-old ASEAN
Plus Three format. The EAS, now in its fourth year, adds the two main Oceanic
nations and India, while Australia has wanted to invite the United States to the
16-nation meeting. Within a few weeks, yet another summit of the Asia-Pacific
region will be in Singapore with the participation of the United States, Canada,
Mexico, Peru, Chile, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea and Russia.
The recurring top-level meetings in the region should be instrumental in
increasing understanding and friendship among the leaders but the large
participation and broad agenda inevitably limits the depth of discussion.
Documents produced by the series of summits contain more generalities than
specifics.
The Korea-ASEAN summit, for example, agreed to broaden their cooperation in
trade, sustainable development, education, culture and various other fields and
to consider elevating their ties to a strategic level. The meeting adopted a
recommendation by a committee of experts which stressed that the "strategic
partnership will promote efforts to synergize the potential of Southeast Asia and
Northeast Asia toward a comprehensive, progressive and dynamic, interconnected
and interdependent collaboration."
These rather general accords will have to be followed up by concrete action
programs to be proposed and examined in ministerial-level meetings. As a "real
partner" of the Southeast Asian nations, Seoul will have to increase its
development aid and investment in them to assume greater responsibilities for
regional advancement and substantially implement its New Asia Initiative.
(END)
Australia, New Zealand and India.
For the past 20 years, Korea has had links with ASEAN as a dialogue partner and
the Northeast and Southeast Asian blocs have since formed the 10-year-old ASEAN
Plus Three format. The EAS, now in its fourth year, adds the two main Oceanic
nations and India, while Australia has wanted to invite the United States to the
16-nation meeting. Within a few weeks, yet another summit of the Asia-Pacific
region will be in Singapore with the participation of the United States, Canada,
Mexico, Peru, Chile, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea and Russia.
The recurring top-level meetings in the region should be instrumental in
increasing understanding and friendship among the leaders but the large
participation and broad agenda inevitably limits the depth of discussion.
Documents produced by the series of summits contain more generalities than
specifics.
The Korea-ASEAN summit, for example, agreed to broaden their cooperation in
trade, sustainable development, education, culture and various other fields and
to consider elevating their ties to a strategic level. The meeting adopted a
recommendation by a committee of experts which stressed that the "strategic
partnership will promote efforts to synergize the potential of Southeast Asia and
Northeast Asia toward a comprehensive, progressive and dynamic, interconnected
and interdependent collaboration."
These rather general accords will have to be followed up by concrete action
programs to be proposed and examined in ministerial-level meetings. As a "real
partner" of the Southeast Asian nations, Seoul will have to increase its
development aid and investment in them to assume greater responsibilities for
regional advancement and substantially implement its New Asia Initiative.
(END)
