AIPO delegates discuss measures for regional development

AIPO delegates discuss measures for regional development

www.chinaview.cn 2005-09-19 19:22:44


VIENTIANE, Sept. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Parliamentarians from ASEAN
andits dialogue partners outlined some measures to boost economic
development and deal with such global and regional issues as terrorism,
and human and drug trafficking at the 26th AIPO General Assembly which
inaugurated here Monday.

Recognizing huge benefits of economic cooperation among the 10
members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and
between the block with its dialogue countries, many participants at the
first plenary session of the four-day assembly of the ASEAN
Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO) stressed the importance ofa
regional economic community and free trade areas.

AIPO members should "support ASEAN's drive to create a wider and
common economic space not only among the ASEAN member countries, but
also with our neighbors, namely China, India, Japan,the Republic of
Korea, Australia and New Zealand," said ASEAN Secretary General Ong
Keng Yong.

Free trade and investment arrangements between ASEAN and the
countries should ease up the movement of goods and services, he said,
adding that the arrangements would require some domestic legislation to
carry out, particularly on tariff easing.

Samdech Krom Preah Norodom Ranariddh, President of the Cambodian
National Assembly, noted that ASEAN has begun the process of creating
an East Asia Free Trade Area by initiating free trade areas within the
block and with its East Asian partners.However, the concerned sides
must generally "bring immigration laws into conformity and develop
uniform laws and enforcement" to regulate the flow of labor across
borders.

Stating that drug menace poses serious threat to all ASEAN
countries, regional lawmakers shared experiences in combating narcotics
in three fronts, namely drug production, trafficking and abuse.

"We need to make more efforts in building a strong cultural value
among our youths. Campaigns to fight against drug abuse should be
organized in parallel with treatment and rehabilitation programs... We
need to create social awareness on the danger of drug menace in order
to achieve a narcotic-free ASEAN by 2015," said Pany Yatotou, head of
the Lao National Assembly delegation.

Besides the drug menace, woman and child trafficking and terrorism
caught the special attention of many parliamentarians who said enhanced
international and regional cooperation, especially that on border
control, information exchange and criminal prosecution, is needed to
counter the problems.

"Anti-terrorist cooperation with Asian countries is of principal
importance to Russia. Especially in this area, there is high demand for
multilateral Asian mechanisms," stated Y.G. Medvedev, representative of
the Federal Assembly of Russia.

During the first plenary session, the delegates also mentioned
other issues as the issuance of a charter of human rights for Asian
nations, the establishment of an ASEAN parliament, and renewable energy
development.

The assembly will adopt a joint communiqu and around 17 resolutions
on Thursday. The next assembly will be held in the Philippines.

AIPO was initiated by the Indonesian House of Representatives in
1974, and officially set up three years later by Indonesia, Malaysia,
the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The organization embraced
Vietnam in 1995, Laos in 1997 and Cambodia in 1999.

Two other ASEAN members, Brunei and Myanmar, are accredited as the
AIPO's special observers sine they have no legislatures. They engage in
full activities of the organization.

AIPO's nine observers include Australia, Canada, China, the
European Parliament, Japan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Russia and
South Korea. Enditem

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