Brussels, 01/07/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, Javier Solana, the High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, told the ministerial meetings of ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) that the EU and these countries have "common approaches to many issues". He stressed the progress which remains to be made on the fight against the global threats of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. However, the delicate question of Burma-Myanmar revived differences of opinion between the parties with regard to the ASEM summit in October, which could be raised at the ASEAN regional summit, which meets on Friday.
The EU Troika, which, along with 14 other countries (including the US, China and Japan) is currently taking part in meetings of the 10 foreign ministers from the member countries of ASEAN, seems confused at the promises made by Myanmar's military junta. It has announced that it will allow the opposition Aung San Suu Kyi to run for the elections, which will take place once work on the constitution convention is finished. The ASEAN states took this announcement as a positive sign of Burmese power, but the EU is clearly reserving judgement, according to Mr Solana.
Chris Patten, the Commissioner for External Relations, has called for the ASEAN countries to adopt a much tougher stance towards Burma. Europe has taken sanctions, but it would be unwise to take it any further, "as the people would be the main victim". According to AFP, the Burmese head of diplomacy Win Aung felt that European pressure on countries of the region to toughen up their position is "very unfair". According to Mr Solana, "the EU's position will not change, it is the regime which must change", adding that he hoped at least "to see a few changes in the right direction". In the meantime the EU, which hopes that its ten new Member States will join the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM), is still against Burma's participation in the Hanoi Summit in October. But it is up against an objection from the ASEAN countries, which support Burma, a member of their organisation, on this point. After withdrawing their reservation last year, the States of the region took a more flexible line, which makes it clear to Chris Patten that if the objective (democratic reforms for the Rangoon regime) is the same for the EU and ASEAN, "opinions differ on how to achieve this". These differences led to the cancellation of the ASEM meetings at finance and economy minister level, which were planned for July and September. The EU seems to be threatening to withdraw from the Hanoi summit if ASEAN continues to insist that Burma may take part.
This issue could still be raised this Friday, at the ASEAN regional forum, which it is an EU priority to reinforce (see EUROPE of 30 June, p.11), to face up to global threats to security. On this subject, Javier Solana told Thursday's ASEAN ministerial conference that if the Europeans have taken on a European security strategy, they must also "reinforce international order on the basis of effective multilateralism (...), whose fundamental framework is constituted of the United Nations". In Singapore, before his visit to Indonesia, Mr Solana called upon this Asian forum on security to meet every year, to play a more determining role in the prevention and resolution of regional conflicts.