Brussels, 06/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - The Summit between the 25 Member States of the EU and 13 Asian States will take place on 8 and 9 October in Hanoi, Vietnam. President Romano Prodi and Commissioner for Trade Pascal Lamy will attend, as will the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, who will replace the current President of the Council, Jan Peter Balkenende, unable to attend for health reasons, as the Netherlands will be represented by Foreign Minister Bernard Bot. Although the Summit's will definitely take place thanks to a compromise carved out in September, measures may be taken to reinforce sanctions against the Rangoon military regime (see EUROPE of 7 September, p.5).
The representatives of the 38 Member States of the forum (the 25 EU countries and the 10 Member States of ASEAN, plus China, Japan and Korea) and the European Commission will discuss issues related to multilateralism and the UN, developments in economic relations between Asia and Europe and the work of the World Trade Organisation. (Mr Lamy will meet his Vietnamese counterpart to discuss Vietnam's accession to the WTO). Working methods will be discussed, especially the need to present the informal and multi-dimensional nature of trade within this dialogue forum. The question of Burma will, according to the Europeans, be brought up.
The Burmese leaders have until Friday, when the ASEM summit starts, to come into line with EU requirements, or current sanctions may be tightened up (freezing of assets and visa ban). The Burmese, who are preparing to send a ministerial-level representative, will thus satisfy an EU stipulation that the Prime Minister, General Khin Nyunt, may not take his seat. The minister to be sent in his stead has not yet been named, but it is likely to be the Foreign Minister. On the other hand, very little progress appears to have been made in terms of human rights and democracy, especially concerning the liberation of the Nobel Peace Prize-winner, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. However, to prevent this subject from overshadowing the entire summit, the EU ministers will not raise it until the General Affairs Council of 11 October.