Brussels, 25/07/2003 (Agence Europe) - Foreign ministers met in Bali (Indonesia) on 23/24 July for the EU-Asia (ASEM) Summit to discuss strengthening business and political ties (see EUROPE of 23 July, p. 14), where they focussed on Asian issues, namely Burma and the North Korean nuclear proliferation crisis.
The revitalisation of the partnership between the European Union and south-east Asia was discussed at the Summit, of course, but ministers did not restrict themselves to business issues. They also looked at common challenges, like the war on terror and non-proliferation. The Bali Summit was characterised by a call for the Myanmar military junta to “immediately release” Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, which not an easy matter given the difference of views of Europeans and Asians on the issue. For the first time, the Summit prepared a common document criticising the Myanmar junta, noted the Italian foreign minister and President of the Council Franco Frattini. It was far from won in advance, he commented. Asian countries wanted Burma to join the ASEM, along with Cambodia and Laos (they are members of the Association of south-East Asian Nations, a key part of ASEM). Because of Aung San Suu Kyi's arrest, European leaders in Bali withdrew their former commitment to allow the three countries to join ASEM and the U-turn may make matters even more complicated at the forum. AFP reports an anonymous Asian minister of hinting that the EU's about-turn violated its promise to bring all south-East Asian nations under the wing of ASEM, which would make it difficult for Asian countries to allow the ten future EU Member States to join ASEM. Asia also rejected a European proposal to hold a special meeting to look at the Burma issue.
ASEM countries' foreign ministers agreed to call for peaceful resolution of the crisis sparked by North Korea's relaunch of its nuclear programme. The EU and the ten Asian countries participating in the Summit highlighted their opposition to nuclear weapons being kept on the Korean peninsula and urged North Korea to renew dialogue with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and reverse its decision to abandon the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.