Excellency, Professor Jayakumar

Last week in Strasbourg, in my, Address to the European Parliament on the priorities for Ireland’s EU Presidency in the latter half of 1996, I Indicated that the European Union will continue to accord a light priority to the strengthening of economic and political relations with Asia. In this connection the European Union accords great importance to the ever deepening relationship with ASEAN.

The importance of the EU/ASEAN relationship is evidenced by the increased level of engagements between the two sides in recent years. The ending of the East - West rivalry in the Europe the significant economic and political developments in the ASEAN countries and the changing architecture of global economic relations has caused both regions to re-evaluate the nature of our relations. The EU/ASEAN Karlsruhe meeting in September 1994 played an important role in this process.

Since our last meeting in August 1995, co-operation between the two regions has deepened further with the first meeting of the Europe Asia Meeting (ASEM) in Bangkok in March 1996. It is generally agreed that this meeting was an outstanding success; and I should like to pay due tribute to the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr.Goh Chok Tong, who initiated the idea for the holding of an ASEM for Heads of State or Government , which has proved so invaluable in bringing our region closer together in so many different fields. Follow-up actions have already begun and the first Senior Officials' Meeting on Trade and investment is taking place in Brussels to day. The working Group on Investment Promotion has already met and is scheduled to have more meetings before the end of the year. A Europe Asia Business Forum will take place in Paris in October and a Senior Official’s meeting is being organised by the EU Presidency in Dublin, on 20 December 1996, to prepare for the ASEM Ministerial in Singapore in February 1997.

It is important to stress, however, that we see the ASEM process as complementing and not replacing the institutional arrangements already in place for dialogue between EU/ASEAN. and ASEM and we will need to examine this matter very carefully to ensure a coherent and Clear approach to the achievement of our goals in the EU/ASEAN relationship and ASEM.

The value of the- EU/ASEAN relationship has been evident in our discussion here in Jakarta in recent days. The free-wheeling exchanges which we have had in the ASEAN Regional Forum session proved to most valuable. The initiative of ASEAN in instituting the ASEAN Regional Forum in Bangkok in 1994 has proven its worth and the European Union hopes that the discussion in this forum will assist in the promotion of the peace, prosperity and security of the Asia-Pacific Region. Yesterday, we covered a wide variety of subject in the plenary session of the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference with all the Dialogue Partners.

In this particular forum the ASEAN7+1 Meeting, I would like to refer to a few specific matters;

(1) 12th EU/ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AEMM) in Singapore in February 1997.

The European Union wishes to continue to pursue its pragmatic and friendly co-operation with ASEAN in the frame of the 1980 . Agreement and we are looking forward to fruitful discussions in Singapore next February.

I should like to recall that the Irish EU Presidency has scheduled an EU/ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting in Dublin on 19 December 1996 inter alia in order to prepare thoroughly for the Singapore AEMM. The EU Presidency envisages the preparation of the EU position on the AEMM in the Autumn and I would like very much appreciate it if you might be in a position to provide a draft agenda and possibly even outline of any proposed draft conclusions/press communiqué as soon as may be possible in the autumn. The European Union is of the view that the two Presidencies might at a later stage look at any possible risk of duplication in preparing for the EU/ASEAN and ASEAM Ministerial discussion , which are to held back-to-back in Singapore in February 1997, where some overlapping of subject-matter inevitable arises in order to see how any possible duplication might be avoided or least minimized.

(2) Future Directions of EU/ASEAN Relations

This autumn, a new European Commission communication on future EU/ASEAN relations will be examined following the expected formal transmission of this communication to the Council by the end of this month.

(3) EU/ASEAN Eminent Persons' Group Report

I welcome the Report of the Eminent Person’s Group (EPG) A Strategy for a New Partnership between ASEAN and the European Union, which had been requested at the 11th EU/ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Karlsruhe (22/24 September 1994). The Report is timely and comprehensive. I agree with the broad thrust of the recommendation contained in the Report in relation to trade and economic matters. This is but a preliminary reaction. The Report deserve, a through analysis and this will be undertaken on the side of the European Union with a view to a comprehensive exchange of views on this Report at the EU/ASEAN Dublin Senior Officials Meeting on 19 December 1996. The successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round negotiations has conferred new right and obligation on all members of the World Trade Organisation. As we prepare for the First World Trade Organisation Ministerial Review Conference, in Singapore in December 1996. it is important that both of our regions should co-operate closely to ensure successful outcome to the Conference.

Finally, may I express my gratitude to you, Professor Jayakumar, for the efforts which you have made, Including your visit to Ireland in recent months, in your capacity as Minister in charge of the dialogue between ASEAN and European Union. I am delighted that you will continue in this role for some considerable time yet. In addition, I should like to express my thanks also to Indonesia for so ably chairing the ASEAN Regional Forum and Plenary ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference. Further, I look forward to working closely with Malaysia, which is to assume the Chairmanship of ASEAN in the coming months.