A new start for ASEAN
China Daily HK Edition  Updated: 2004-11-27 11:10

The 10th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Vientiane, which marks the beginning of the Lao chairmanship, will likely be the most important international event in Laos's recent history, raising its image and position in the international arena.

The Vientiane summit will be closely watched by the international community, especially ASEAN's immediate neighbours, as it moves itself into an integrated regional community by 2020. The idea of an ASEAN Community will definitely be the main theme throughout the summit and one that will provide the basis for the direction of ASEAN and its future activities. The summit should therefore be an important venue for expressing its commitment to change.

ASEAN's regional diplomatic moves will not end in Vientiane, but will go beyond it if ASEAN shows a consistent commitment in its strategic platform and has success in building its regional identity.

Many critics pointed out that the Vientiane summit would serve as a forum for discussion, not necessarily to give a new orientation or substance to ASEAN and not even to deviate from an agreed common stand.

There is nothing wrong with this, because the regional grouping's overall performance will be evaluated not on the extent to which its bureaucrats have helped direct ASEAN's orientation as reflected in the official documents, but more on how the top leaders perceive the current and future regional strategic problems. If the plan for the ASEAN Community needs fundamental changes, in response to changes in the way the leaders see regional problems, then the Vientiane summit would have to come out with fresh and bold policies like how the changes should really benefit the group's members and the region as a whole. The Vientiane summit should not serve only to accommodate differences.

The 10th ASEAN summit will be held under the theme of promoting an active and secure ASEAN family by boosting solidarity, economic co-operation and progress. The summit is scheduled to focus on comprehensively enhancing ASEAN's alignment, boosting co-operation in eastern Asia as well as India, Australia and New Zealand.

"Boosting ASEAN+3 co-operation" will be the theme of the ASEAN+3 Summit Meeting (with China, Japan and the Republic of Korea), while the ASEAN+1 Summit Meeting (with India) will be called "Deepening Partnership."

The Vientiane Action Plan in the 2004-10 period along with an action plan for an ASEAN socio-cultural community, an action plan to implement a joint declaration on ASEAN-China strategic partnerships for peace and prosperity, an ASEAN-Japan joint declaration on co-operation in fighting international terrorism, a joint declaration on the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand dialogue partnership, an ASEAN-India partnership declaration for peace, development and prosperity and an ASEAN-Republic of Korea joint declaration on comprehensive partnership co-operation are scheduled to be discussed and passed at the meetings.

These plans clearly reflect the fact that ASEAN has stretched out much further and has served as a kind of regional magnet in which other external actors cannot avoid but to be part of ASEAN's long-term regional activities. This is the kind of regional dynamism the Vientiane summit hopes to display to the region, which means that ASEAN's long-term diplomatic activities will be centred particularly on these ventures.

If ASEAN is successful in establishing the ASEAN Community by 2020, it is assumed that ASEAN's external relations will also be stable and thus shape ASEAN's long-term image. Thus, the Vientiane summit is tasked with mapping out long-term strategic plans, that would not only guarantee the realization of the ASEAN plan of action at least until 2010, but also provide a stronger political and security basis for future diplomatic activities inside and outside the region.

Excerpts from The Jakarta Post, Indonesia.

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