The Korea Herald : The Nation's No.1 English Newspaper
リンク: The Korea Herald : The Nation's No.1 English Newspaper.
| Asian politicians call for regional unity | |||
From news reports Legislators and political leaders from 36 Asian and Oceanian countries on Sunday called for resumption of international negotiations over North Korea's nuclear weapons program while also calling for efforts to build regional unity. The calls came as part of a joint statement issued at the end of an international meeting of politicians in Seoul. Some 400 politicians have gathered here since Thursday for the fourth General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties. The statement also called for joint efforts for nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the establishment of an Asian monetary fund to help fight poverty in the region. The politicians also expressed support for the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, an eight-point policy mission of the world body whose objectives include halving global poverty and halting the spread of AIDS by 2015. "The Seoul Declaration adopted this time will provide an opportunity for the ICAPP to make a great leap forward as it calls for peace and co-prosperity in Asia," Rep. Kim Han-gill, floor leader of the ruling Uri Party, said in a speech at the closing of the four-day conference. "The ICAPP will lead the efforts by political leaders and party members of each (member) state to resolve problems facing peace and prosperity in Asia," Kim added. The Seoul meeting has also been what Korean participants called a monumental occasion for the international conference itself, as the Asian politicians adopted a charter for the ICAPP for the first time. "This provided a historic event for the ICAPP, which has been operating without any legal basis, to become a permanent institution," said Rep. Chung Eui-yong, head of the ruling party's foreign relations committee. Korea's organizing committee for the Seoul meeting had invited officials from the North's ruling Workers' Party, but the communist state refused to send any delegates. North Korea launched seven mid- and long-range missiles as part of what it claimed to be a regular military exercise on July 5, stoking the already-high tension in the region. Pyongyang has refused to attend international talks that aim to peacefully resolve the dispute over its nuclear weapons program since November, citing what it calls a hostile U.S. policy toward it. The talks are also attended by South Korea, Japan, China, Russia and the United States. On Saturday, South Korean politicians said Asian countries need to consider forming a regional body, like the European Union, to become competitive amid continuing clashes among global superpowers. "An establishment of an Asian regional body is a way to defend the region from Western competition, such as those from the EU," Moon Hee-sang, a lawmaker from the ruling Uri Party, said in a keynote speech. "We now hope to open an age of Pax Asiana (by the formation of a regional body)." Moon also promised that Korea will contribute to Asian peace through international diplomatic efforts to dismantle the ongoing North Korean nuclear standoff. Rep. Lee Jae-oh, of the main opposition Grand National Party also pointed out continuing cross-border conflicts and poverty issues, saying Asia should jointly come up with measures to resolve them. "There is a growing need to establish a Pan-Asian body so the region can get rid of lingering poverty and unceasing disputes," said Rep. Lee Hye-hoon, of the GNP. Meanwhile, the chairman of ICAPP said Saturday that he believes the body of water between Korea and Japan should be referred to as the East Sea. Jose de Venecia, founding chairman of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties, corrected himself after calling the waterway the Sea of Japan during his opening address at ICAPP's general assembly on Friday. At a press conference on Saturday, de Venecia, who is also the speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, explained he ended up using the Japanese name because it was used on a world map. He added that he personally believes the waters should be called the East Sea.
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