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RI, Thailand work to narrow ASEAN gap

Indonesia and Thailand have agreed Thursday to close development gap between ASEAN’s six original members and its four newest members

Desy Nurhayati (The Jakarta Post)
Nusa Dua, Bali
Fri, September 3, 2010

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RI, Thailand work to narrow ASEAN gap

I

ndonesia and Thailand have agreed Thursday to close development gap between ASEAN’s six original members and its four newest members.  

During the 7th joint ASEAN commission meeting here Thursday, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa and his Thai counterpart, Kasit Piromya, discussed a wide range of issues, agreeing that 2010 was a special moment as the countries would mark 60 years of bilateral relations.

The foreign ministers also exchanged ideas on how to achieve a full-fledged ASEAN economic community by 2015.

“As founding members of ASEAN, we will play very important roles in helping to close the development gap between the six original members of ASEAN and the four new members, so that ASEAN as a whole can continue to be the central organization of the region,” Piromya said.  

Piromya said connectivity is the key to closing the gap, adding that countries must be better connected in terms of transportation, information, communications and technology.  

“Connectivity has become a principle for all 10 members of ASEAN. We can have greater accessibility in transportation and cross border facilities so that goods and people can move around. It can help develop the interiors of Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, in particular,” he added.

On foreign investment, Piromya said Thailand is the number one investor in Laos and Cambodia, adding that he hoped other ASEAN countries would invest more.

The ministers also agreed to provide economic and technical assistance in soft loans to the four countries.

Marty said the meeting reflected a close and comprehensive partnership that covered politics, security, education, culture, trade and investment.

“We note the fact that the state of our relationship is very healthy in all area of endeavor: in the area of economics, trade, investment, political and security cooperation and in the specific areas of fisheries, mining and education,” he said.

“We’d like to promote our ties by identifying new areas to enhance collaboration.”

He said Indonesia would have a chance to play greater role when the country takes over ASEAN’s rotating chair next year.

Both ministers agreed to prepare an agreement on fisheries to settle problems in the field.    

“We also have start to work on our Exclusive Economic Zone,” Marty said.

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