East Asian nations to boost economic ties

India and 15 other countries today moved a step closer to work towards the Asian economic community encompassing a possible pan-Asia free-trade agreement as envisaged by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

At the first East Asia summit, described as historic by the leaders attending it, a Kuala Lumpur declaration was adopted, which underlined that the summit, to be held annually, was set up as a forum "for dialogue on broad strategic, political and economic issues of common interest and concern with the aim of promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity in east Asia."

The declaration was signed by Singh and heads of government of the Asean 10 ""Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam""and China, Japan, South Korea, India, New Zealand and Australia.

Singh told the heads of government that Asia had now "woken up" and urged them to look for deeper economic integration as tools such as FTAs and economic agreements could become "building blocks" for larger common visions.

An East Asia summit declaration on the avian influenza prevention was also adopted by the summit members to step up co-operation for surveillance and capacity building, research and development, risk communications and production and supply of vaccine and anti viral drugs.

It also agreed to undertake necessary follow-up action through existing Asean mechanisms in consultation with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the FAO and other world bodies.

The East Asia summit was truly a meeting of friends with things in common and a with a vision of the region, Rajiv Sikri, secretary (east) in the foreign affairs ministry, told reporters.

He said the leaders in their 150 minutes of "cordial and friendly" discussions discussed the whole gambit of regional and financial architecture and felt every country could provide value-addition to realising the concept of east Asian community.

As being the first meeting, no specific issue was discussed and it agreed that officials of the member countries would meet again to work out the nitty-gritty working towards various ideas that had emerged, Sikri said.

The next East Asia meeting will be held at Cebu in the Philippines in December 2006. Singh said, "the world's eye was upon us and the hopes and aspirations of millions of people were focused upon this framework to work in the future."

He quoted India's first premier Jawaharlal Nehru who said, "Today time is moving fast in Asia, old continent is waking up after a long slumber, the eyes of the world are upon her, Asia is going to play a great part in the future." Singh said "Asia was now a cusp of a new opportunity, which we should seize with foresight and wisdom."

India and the member states discussed a wide array of issues, including transnational crimes, terrorism, mitigation of disasters.

India proposed that a follow-up mechanism should be adopted by setting up a group of officials to create a roadmap for further action. This was unanimously accepted by the others.