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016714) MDLIAN 402
THE UNITED STATES, HAD URGED THE ADOPTION OF A SEPARATE DECLARATION ON THE URUGUAY ROUND INCLUDING SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE NEED FOR AGRICULTURAL MARKET OPENING. EVENTUALLY A COMPROMISE EMERGED IN
WHICH A SEPARATE DECLARATION ON THE URUGUAY ROUND WAS ISSUED AND IN THIS MINISTERS CALLED FOR 'FURTHER PROGRESS' IN AGRICULTURE, AS WELL AS OTHER SECTORS, LEADING TO A BALANCED COMPREHENSIVE AND SUBSTANTIAL RESULT'. LEE MERELY SAID THAT SENIOR OFFICIALS HAD PREVIOUSLY ASKED APEC AMBASSADORS IN GENEVA TO PREPARE A DRAFT TEXT ON THE ROUND, WHICH WAS DULY SUBMITTED TO THE MEETING BUT MINISTERS HAD CONSIDERED THIS INSUFFICIENT AND ASKED FOR A PUNCHIER TEXT.
MINISTERS ALSO AGREED THAT IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO HOLD A MEETING OF TRADE POLICY MINISTERS FOLLOWING THE CONCLUSION OF THE URUGUAY
ROUND TO TRY TO ASSESS THE OUTCOME OF THE ROUND FOR THE REGION.
4. LEE DESCRIBED THE OUTCOME OF THE MEETING AS A COMPROMISE
BETWEEN THOSE WHO WANTED RAPID INSTITUTIONALISATION OF APEC AND
THOSE WHO WANTED MORE GRADUAL PROGRESS. HE REGARDED THE AGREED
STATEMENT AS 'A STEP FORWARD TO MORE INSTITUTIONALISATION AND EXPECTED FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THIS AT THE BANGKOK MINISTERIAL MEETING IN BANGKOK NEXT YEAR. THE STATEMENT ITSELF SIMPLY SAYS
THAT THE ISSUES REQUIRE FURTHER IN-DEPTH STUDY AND SENIOR OFFICIALS
HAVE BEEN ASKED TO PURSUE THIS, TOGETHER WITH THE QUESTION OF INCREASING THE MEMBERSHIP OF APEC.
5.
LEE MADE NO SECRET OF THE FACT THAT, AS FAR AS THE KOREANS WERE CONCERNED, THE MAJOR SUCCESS OF THE MEETING HAD BEEN THE PARTICIPATION OF THE 'THREE CHINAS' (CHINA, HONG KONG AND TAIWAN). OTHER PROBLEMS REMAIN UNRESOLVED AND HAVE BEEN REFERRED BACK TO SENIOR OFFICIALS TO TACKLE, INITIALLY AT THEIR NEXT MEETING IN BANGKOK, IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY.
COMMENT
6"
FOR THE KOREANS, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EVENT LAY IN THE MERE FACT THAT IT TOOK PLACE. IT WAS A FURTHER CASE (EG THE ESCAP
MEETING IN APRIL) OF SEOUL SEEKING ENHANCED REGIONAL STANDING AS A RESULT OF ACTING AS HOST TO AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. AND TO
THIS EXTENT THE GOVERNMENT ACHIEVED BOTH ITS DOMESTIC PURPOSE
('EYES OF ASIA ON KOREA') AND ITS PARTICULAR REGIONAL OBJECTIVES (EXCHANGES WITH QIAN QICHEN ABOUT FUTURE PRC-ROK RELATIONS AND THE NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR THREAT). IT WAS CLEAR THAT SEOUL'S MAIN
CONCERN IN RESPECT OF APEC WAS TO ENGAGE HIGH-LEVEL VISITORS (BAKER, CARLA HILLS, WATANABE AND QIAN QICHEN), IN BILATERAL DIALOGUES WITH THEIR KOREAN COUNTERPARTS TO DISCUSS THE ISSUES OF
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