TNAG-1791-FCO40-2551-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 217

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MDLIAN 1459

OF THE EC AND ASEAN HAD 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 HAD BEEN FOUNDED IN ALL ASEAN CAPITALS SINCE THEIR LAST MEETING.

INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL AFFAIRS

3. REGIONAL CO-OPERATION

THE EC MINISTERS EKSPLAINED TO THE ASEAN MINISTERS THAT THE ENTRY INTO FORCE ON 1 JULY 1987 OF THE SINGLE EUROPEAN ACT WAS AN IMPORTANT STEP ON THE ROAD TOWARDS JOINT EUROPEAN

POLICY MAKING AND A GENUINE COMMON MARKET.

THE ASEAN MINISTERS INFORMED THEIR EUROPEAN COUNTERPARTS

A BOUT 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

TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS EKSISTENCE AND ON THE PROGRESS

IT HAD MADE THROUGH CLOSE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CO-OPERAT- ION.

THE MINISTERS NOTED THAT ASEAN HAD EVOLVED INTO AN

AREA OF PEACE AMONG ITS MEMBERS AND GROWING STABILITY AND

E CONOMIC SUCCESS.

NOW THAT THE EC IS WELL ON ITS WAY TOWARDS THE COMPLET-

ION OF AN INTERNAL MARKET OF 320 MILLION AND IN THE PROCESS

OF ESTABLISHING 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.

4. EAST-WEST RELATIONS

THE MINISTERS DISCUSSED EAST-WEST RELATIONS. THEY NOTED WITH

SATISFACTION SIGNS OF RELAKSATION OF TENSION (DETENTE) IN

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. THEY VOICED THEIR EKSPECTATION

THAT THESE SIGNS SHOULD HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE SOLUT-

I ON OF REGIONAL CONFLICTS AS PARTICULARLY AFGHANISTAN AND CAMBODIA. THE MINISTERS EKSPRESSED THEIR READINESS TO

ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO SUCH SOLUTIONS.

5. DISARMAMENT, ARMS CONTROL AND RELATED QUESTIONS. THE MINISTERS WELCOMED THE INF TREATY AS A MILESTONE,

BEING THE FIRST AGREEMENT BY WHICH THE UNITED STATES AND THE SOVIET UNION HAVE DECIDED TO REDUCE EFFECTIVELY THEIR NUCLEAR ARSENALS. THEY HOPE THAT THIS AGREEMENT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY OTHERS AND WILL THUS BE BENEFICIAL TO OTHER

FIELDS OF ARMS CONTROL.

A START AGREEMENT REDUCING THE STRATEGIC NUCLEAR WEA-

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