Transcript of Remarks by the Singapore Foreign Minister Prof S Jayakumar on 4 Mar 2004 at the Saigon Ha Long Hotel

Question: (inaudible)

Minister: The whole idea of a Retreat is for the Ministers to have a chance to discuss the events and the tasks before us after the last Leaders' meeting and to prepare for forthcoming meetings. So, there are many issues - economic directions for ASEAN as well as security cooperation, preparations for future meetings and so on.

Question: Is the creation of a peacekeeping force something that ASEAN considers interference?

Minister: We'll have to discuss this later. It's one of the ideas in a paper on the ASEAN Security Community. I believe that there will be a discussion on this. What will happen, I do not know. I have discussed informally with some of the Ministers. We think that ASEAN is really not a security or defence organisation. We have to proceed in a step-by-step, gradual and incremental manner. Singapore's view is that for the time being, the peace keeping force idea is probably not the right time now - precisely because ASEAN is not a security or defence organisation. Perhaps sometime in the future, there may be scope for such an organisation.

Question: The ASEM meeting that Vietnam will be hosting in October. There has been some discussion about the disagreement between European and Asian members over the participation of Myanmar. Also, the enlargement of Europe. Is that one of the issues that will be discussed at this meeting?

Minister: I don't think this will be discussed because the Asian position is very clear. The Asian position is that on the Asia side, there are 3 new members - Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The Leaders of ASEAN have decided that we should take a unified position. On the European side, there are 10 new members. Our position is that the 10 new members from Europe be admitted together with the 3 new members from Asia. We ought to discuss with the Europeans. But that is the Asian position.

Question: But the Europeans feel that unless something is done in Myanmar on the human rights situation there, ...

Minister: Well, let's see what happens. There will be a meeting at Dublin of Foreign Ministers. Singapore's position is that of ASEAN's and Asian's position. I have mentioned to my European friends that we had a similar problem in recent years with the ASEAN-EU bloc-to-bloc relationship where we had an impasse. The impasse was broken when we agreed to allow the Myanmar Foreign Minister to attend the meetings of ASEAN-EU in Brussels. The point which the Asian side finds difficulty in understanding is: if we make a breakthrough there, and we admitted the Foreign Minister of Myanmar to participate in the ASEAN-EU meeting, why is it that for ASEM, there is objection from the European side.

Question: Will you be encouraging Myanmar perhaps to make some moves on the human rights scene...?

Minister: I think each of us in ASEAN has been supporting efforts by the Myanmar Government to make movement particularly on the Roadmap. We will continue to do so.

Question: Will the Roadmap be discussed at this meeting?

Minister: The Retreat does not have any specific agenda but the Myanmar Foreign Minister has never declined when asked for a briefing. He has been very open and I am sure he will continue to do so. If any Minister wants to have a briefing on the latest developments in Myanmar, I am sure the Foreign Minister of Myanmar will give us an update.

Question: Is there any confidence that there will be a constitutional convention by the end of this year?

Minister: That question, you have to ask Myanmar.

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