(AP) MANILA, Philippines
The European Union is keen to forge a free-trade pact with Southeast Asia but Myanmar's poor human rights record could be an obstacle, the EU trade chief said Monday.
Peter Mandelson, who is visiting the Philippines, said he would meet trade ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Nations, or ASEAN, on Tuesday to assess a feasibility study for an ASEAN-EU free trade agreement.
But he said the "lack of democracy and abuse of human rights" in military-ruled Myanmar, which has come under international condemnation for its refusal to speed up reforms, are stumbling blocks. However, he pledged not to let talks be derailed because of one country.
"We need to find a way through these problems that enables us to negotiate for the benefit of many, rather than to be held hostage by one country. I will be discussing that in due course with my counterparts in ASEAN," he told reporters.
"I don't want to see the people in Southeast Asia on a whole held back and unable to tackle the urgent challenge of poverty because of Myanmar's refusal to change for the better."
Wrangling over Myanmar has held back previous attempts to launch free trade negotiations between the two groups. The 25-nation EU wants ASEAN to take tougher action to push Myanmar's military junta to reform.
ASEAN, which has a policy of not interfering in each other's domestic affairs, pledges to prod Myanmar to speed up democratic reforms and free all political prisoners, including Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. But the bloc says it cannot force Myanmar to introduce democracy if the country refuses to change.
Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962, and the current group of generals took power in 1988. Suu Kyi, who has spent nearly 10 of the last 16 years under house arrest, is one of hundreds of political prisoners.
The EU is one of ASEAN's top trading partners, with bilateral trade totaling around US$110 billion (euro92 billion) each year. Mandelson said he was keen to push through a free trade pact with ASEAN to help European businesses tap potentials in the region's 530 million people.
"I want to persuade European business to look beyond China to the wider opportunities of Asia and importantly to bring a new focus to our trade relations with ASEAN countries," he said.
"At the moment, European horizons are too short... too many business people in Europe don't know the world in Asia beyond China."
A free trade pact will also benefit ASEAN by opening up market access to the EU, which is the world's largest market, and bring in more investment and job creation in the region, he added.
ASEAN groups Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Brunei.
Peter Mandelson, who is visiting the Philippines, said he would meet trade ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Nations, or ASEAN, on Tuesday to assess a feasibility study for an ASEAN-EU free trade agreement.
But he said the "lack of democracy and abuse of human rights" in military-ruled Myanmar, which has come under international condemnation for its refusal to speed up reforms, are stumbling blocks. However, he pledged not to let talks be derailed because of one country.
"We need to find a way through these problems that enables us to negotiate for the benefit of many, rather than to be held hostage by one country. I will be discussing that in due course with my counterparts in ASEAN," he told reporters.
"I don't want to see the people in Southeast Asia on a whole held back and unable to tackle the urgent challenge of poverty because of Myanmar's refusal to change for the better."
Wrangling over Myanmar has held back previous attempts to launch free trade negotiations between the two groups. The 25-nation EU wants ASEAN to take tougher action to push Myanmar's military junta to reform.
ASEAN, which has a policy of not interfering in each other's domestic affairs, pledges to prod Myanmar to speed up democratic reforms and free all political prisoners, including Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. But the bloc says it cannot force Myanmar to introduce democracy if the country refuses to change.
Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962, and the current group of generals took power in 1988. Suu Kyi, who has spent nearly 10 of the last 16 years under house arrest, is one of hundreds of political prisoners.
The EU is one of ASEAN's top trading partners, with bilateral trade totaling around US$110 billion (euro92 billion) each year. Mandelson said he was keen to push through a free trade pact with ASEAN to help European businesses tap potentials in the region's 530 million people.
"I want to persuade European business to look beyond China to the wider opportunities of Asia and importantly to bring a new focus to our trade relations with ASEAN countries," he said.
"At the moment, European horizons are too short... too many business people in Europe don't know the world in Asia beyond China."
A free trade pact will also benefit ASEAN by opening up market access to the EU, which is the world's largest market, and bring in more investment and job creation in the region, he added.
ASEAN groups Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Brunei.
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