November 15, 2009
By KAVI CHONGKITTAVORN
THE NATION ON SUNDAY
Obama's 90-minute meeting today with region's leaders expected to upgrade relations to a key partner
US President Barack Obama will today endorse the centrality of Asean in new regional community building and an expansive role for it in global issues, at the inaugural Asean-US Leaders' Meeting in Singapore.
Obama, who is scheduled to hold a 90-minute meeting this afternoon with the 10 Asean leaders, will also pronounce the policy of engagement with Asean as a key partner in promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
The historic meeting, which is being co-chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, marks the first meeting between the leaders of the two sides. It will also be the first time in 43 years that a Burmese prime minister has met a US leader.
The draft joint statement, seen by The Nation on Sunday, touches on the whole gamut of Asean and US relations in the past 32 years related to political/security, economic/investment and social development issues.
The draft also included Abhisit's proposal of Asean connectivity, which aims at promoting infrastructure and communication links within Asean, including people-to-people contacts.
Obama will reaffirm the importance of Asean's centrality in building regional architecture, which must be inclusive, promote shared values and norms and respect the diversity within the region.
This is in line with his Tokyo speech on Asia yesterday, when he said: "Asean will remain a catalyst for Southeast Asian dialogue, cooperation and security."
The US will also express support for the Asean Inter-government Commission for Human Rights, including the track-two initiatives. Washington will invite members of the AICHR to the US to meet their counterparts.
Leaders of Asean and the US are expected to discuss regional and international issues. Topping the agenda will be the situation in Burma - particularly Aung San Suu Kyi's freedom - and North Korea. Various efforts related to transnational issues, such as climate change, energy security, terrorism, pandemics and disaster management, will also be discussed.
The outcome of a recent visit to Burma by two senior US officials will be discussed. On Burma, the leaders will stress that the US approach will "contribute to broad political and economic reforms and the process will be enhanced in the future".
Obama yesterday called for the release of Suu Kyi ahead of the leaders' meeting.
The leaders of Asean and the US will jointly urge the Burmese government to hold free, fair, fully inclusive and transparent elections next year, including a dialogue with all stakeholders.
The Asean leaders are expected to support the US call for a nuclear-free world. Together, they will call for North Korea to return to the six-party talks.
Despite the US reluctance to call its first meeting with Asean a summit, both sides have agreed to meet next year. At the meeting today, Obama is expected to invite all the Asean leaders to the US next year.
US-Asean relations have been bolstered following the new US policy towards Asia. In August, Washington signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, which further strengthened the three-decade relationship.
According to the draft statement, both sides have agreed to set up a joint Asean-US Eminent Persons Group to address regional and global issues. This group can work on issues tasked by their leaders, such as the Asean-US Free Trade Agreement.
The US has yet to agree to Asean requests on the regular participation of the Asean chair at G-20 summits and Washington's support for non-Apec Asean members.
Former US president George W Bush met Asean leaders three times - in October 2002 in Los Cabos, Mexico; in December 2005, in Busan, South Korea; and in September 2007, in Sydney. These meetings were on the sidelines of the Apec leaders' meetings and were limited to seven Asean members. Cambodia, Laos and Burma are not members of the Apec forum.
The US plans to open a permanent office in Jakarta with an Asean ambassador before the end of the year. China stated last month it would do the same soon.
Before he meets Asean leaders, Obama will hold a separate summit with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Obama, who skipped Indonesia this year, plans to go there next summer with his family. He spent four and half years of his childhood in the country.
Last year, bilateral Asean-US trade reached US$178 billion (Bt5.9 trillion), while US investment in Asean amounted to $153 billion.
Other key dialogue partners such as China, Japan, South Korea and India have an annual summit with Asean leaders. Russia is planning a second summit next year in Hanoi under the new Asean chair, Vietnam.
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