CEBU - Prime Minister Helen Clark will raise the issue of closer regional cooperation with the leaders of 15 other Asia-Pacific countries gathering today for the second East Asia Summit.
The idea of a European Union-style free trade bloc is gathering momentum, with the 10-member Association of South
East Asian Nations (Asean) agreeing at the weekend to write a charter that would turn the grouping into a rules-based free-trade organisation by 2015.
Japan has also floated the idea of a larger free-trade bloc by 2015, when Asean is scheduled to conclude free-trade agreements with the six East Asia partners.
But Miss Clark said for that to happen and for other issues to be effectively worked on an organisational structure had to be established for the East Asia Summit, with staff dedicated to progressing its statements.
The issue of the summit's structure is not on the official agenda, but it is in the minds of most leaders and their delegates.
Miss Clark intends to raise it in an open part of the summit dedicated to regional issues.
The issues of North Korea's nuclear weapons programme and suspended World Trade Organisation talks are also likely to be discussed, with possible statements made on both.
The summit's formal agenda includes energy, education, finance, bird flu and disaster preparedness.
Leaders will sign an energy declaration, the draft of which contains a range of specific measures to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Several climate-change initiatives were successfully inserted by New Zealand officials, but the statements are general enough to allow wide interpretation and there is no element of compulsion.
Security in Cebu for the 16-nation summit is extremely tight with 8000 troops and police patrolling the streets and several military helicopters circling, after several governments, including Australia and Britain, issued warnings of a planned terror strike by Al Qaeda-linked Islamic militants.
The summit groups the 10 Asean members along with New Zealand, Australia, India, China, Japan and South Korea.
- NZPA
