| English.news.cn 2013-04-04 22:34:42 |
   
 
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by Ju Mengjun, Nguon Sovan
PHNOM PENH, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Working towards the realization of an ASEAN community in 2015 and strengthening existing partnerships between ASEAN and dialogue partner countries are the most important tasks for the bloc, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said.
"We have been doing our best to turn this regional organization into a cohesive organization with advanced development, and we have strategic partnerships with other countries," he said in a recent interview with Xinhua on the eve of his official visit to China, where he would also attend Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference.
The premier said that Cambodia was very proud to host ASEAN summit in 2002 and 2012 respectively and the country will get benefits from ASEAN integration and the bloc's cooperation with external partners around the world.
Hun Sen said ASEAN is trying to promote partnerships between ASEAN and China, Japan, South Korea, the European Union, the U.S., India, Russia, Australia, New Zealand and countries in Latin America.
"In general, ASEAN has no discrimination; we try to do whatever to create partnerships," he said.
The premier noted that those countries are major trading partners of ASEAN, but the bloc's largest trading partner is China.
He said though ASEAN has only 10 member countries, it has a population larger than that of the 27 EU countries combined.
The premier said some people are wondering whether ASEAN would follow the footstep of the EU towards a community, or blaze a new path as the EU has now fallen into the crisis of sovereign debts.
"We have a roadmap on building an ASEAN community in 2015," he said. "We have the council of the security-political community, the council of socio-cultural community, and the council of economic community. We are pushing the three trends forward, this is our roadmap."
Asked whether it is possible to establish East Asia Organization with ASEAN being a core player, the premier said that it seems too early to predict on this issue.
"We have to strengthen the mechanisms of ASEAN+1 and ASEAN+3 and make them the real core synergy," he said.
"If we rush to create a larger organization, it will not only be impossible to move forward, but also destroy the efforts of the ASEAN actor and lose the role of ASEAN as well," he added.
He said ASEAN has to try all its best to achieve the goal of ASEAN integration in 2015 through narrowing development gap between its old and new members, strengthen partnerships with China, Japan, South Korea, and India.
PHNOM PENH, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Working towards the realization of an ASEAN community in 2015 and strengthening existing partnerships between ASEAN and dialogue partner countries are the most important tasks for the bloc, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said.
"We have been doing our best to turn this regional organization into a cohesive organization with advanced development, and we have strategic partnerships with other countries," he said in a recent interview with Xinhua on the eve of his official visit to China, where he would also attend Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference.
The premier said that Cambodia was very proud to host ASEAN summit in 2002 and 2012 respectively and the country will get benefits from ASEAN integration and the bloc's cooperation with external partners around the world.
Hun Sen said ASEAN is trying to promote partnerships between ASEAN and China, Japan, South Korea, the European Union, the U.S., India, Russia, Australia, New Zealand and countries in Latin America.
"In general, ASEAN has no discrimination; we try to do whatever to create partnerships," he said.
The premier noted that those countries are major trading partners of ASEAN, but the bloc's largest trading partner is China.
He said though ASEAN has only 10 member countries, it has a population larger than that of the 27 EU countries combined.
The premier said some people are wondering whether ASEAN would follow the footstep of the EU towards a community, or blaze a new path as the EU has now fallen into the crisis of sovereign debts.
"We have a roadmap on building an ASEAN community in 2015," he said. "We have the council of the security-political community, the council of socio-cultural community, and the council of economic community. We are pushing the three trends forward, this is our roadmap."
Asked whether it is possible to establish East Asia Organization with ASEAN being a core player, the premier said that it seems too early to predict on this issue.
"We have to strengthen the mechanisms of ASEAN+1 and ASEAN+3 and make them the real core synergy," he said.
"If we rush to create a larger organization, it will not only be impossible to move forward, but also destroy the efforts of the ASEAN actor and lose the role of ASEAN as well," he added.
He said ASEAN has to try all its best to achieve the goal of ASEAN integration in 2015 through narrowing development gap between its old and new members, strengthen partnerships with China, Japan, South Korea, and India.
Editor:
Tang Danlu
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