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MDLIAN 9999
3.
THEIR
NOT YET BEEN RESOLVED (TO BE UPDATED). THEY REAFFIRMED DETERMINATION TO JOIN THEIR EFFORTS IN ORDER TO ASSIST IN THE RESTORATION OF PEACE IN THE REGIONS OF TENSION TO THE BEST OF
THEIR ABILITY.
THE MINISTERS WERE SATISFIED TO NOTE THAT THE ECONOMIES OF THE EC AND ASEAN HAVE AGAIN SHOWN UPWARD TRENDS DESPITE DIFFICULT GLOBAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS. THE MINISTERS EKSPRESSED THEIR GREAT INTEREST IN EVEN STRONGER ECONOMIC COOPERATION OF BOTH REGIONS AND WELCOMED IN THIS CONNECTION THE FACT THAT JOINT EC-ASEAN INVESTMENT COMMITTEES HAVE BEEN FOUNDED IN ALL ASEAN CAPITALS SINCE THEIR LAST MEETING. REGIONAL CO-OPERATION
THE EC MINISTERS INFORMED THE ASEAN MINISTERS ABOUT THE SINGLE EUROPEAN ACT, WHICH ENTERED INTO FORCE ON 1 JULY 1987, AND WHICH IS AN EKSPRESSION OF THE WILL OF THE EC MEMBER STATES TO CONTINUE THE WORK TO TRANSFORM RELATIONS AS A WHOLE AMONG THEMSELVES INTO A EUROPEAN UNION.
THE ASEAN MINISTERS INFORMED THEIR EUROPEAN COUNTERPARTS ABOUT THE ASEAN SUMMIT MEETING OF HEADS OF STATE. AND GOVERN- MENT WHICH TOOK PLACE IN MANILA ON 14-15 DECEMBER 1987. THE EC MINISTERS CONGRATULATED THE ASEAN COMMUNITY ON THE TWEN- TIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EKSISTENCE AND ON THE PROGRESS IT HAD MADE THROUGH CLOSE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION. THE MINISTERS NOTED THAT ASEAN HAD EVOLVED INTO AN AREA OF PEACE A MONG ITS MEMBERS AND OF GROWING STABILITY AND ECONOMIC SUCCESS.
NOW THAT THE EC IS WELL ON ITS WAY TOWARDS THE COMPLETION OF AN INTERNAL MARKET OF 320 MILLION AND IN THE PROCESS OF ESTA- BLISHING AN EVER-CLOSER UNION BETWEEN MEMBER STATES AND THAT THE ASEAN SUMMIT IN MANILA HAS ADOPTED AN IMPORTANT PROGRAMME FOR FURTHER ACTION, IT HAS BECOME PARTICULARLY EVIDENT THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF EC-ASEAN RELATIONS WAS BOTH FORESIGHTED AND ADVANTAGEOUS FOR ALL PARTNERS.
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THE MINISTERS WERE ENCOURAGED BY THE POSITIVE RESULTS OF CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN THE EC AND ASEAN SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE ASEAN-EC MINISTERIAL MEETING IN 1978. THE MINISTERS REAF- FIRMED THE DESIRABILITY IN THE FUTURE OF HAVING CLOSE AND PE- RIODIC CONSULTATIONS ON ISSUES OF MUTUAL INTEREST, WHICH WOULD CONTRIBUTE FURTHER TO THE STRENGTHENING OF THE EKSISTING COOPERATIVE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO REGIONAL GROUPINGS.
CULTURAL RELATIONS
THE MINISTERS AGREED TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN EC-ASEAN CULTURAL TIES. IN THIS CONTEKST, EMPHASIS SHOULD BE GIVEN BOTH TO THE COOPERATION BETWEEN UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS OF
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