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ASEAN strengthens regional links

“The deepening and widening of connectivity in the region would reinforce ASEAN’s position as the hub of East Asia,” reported Indonesia ’s Jakarta Post.

“The deepening and widening of connectivity in the region wouldreinforce ASEAN’s position as the hub of East Asia,” reportedIndonesia ’s Jakarta Post.

In an article on October 25released before the 17 th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi , the Jakarta Postsaid that the leaders of the 10 ASEAN member countries will discuss newplans to enhance ties and upgrade the blocs infrastructure to allow thegroup to increase its competitiveness.

The master plan forASEAN Connectivity would focus on the region’s long-term strategy toimprove the blocs infrastructure, institutions and people-to-peoplerelations, said the paper.

The master plan includesstrategies to enhance roads, railways, maritime transport and air linksbetween ASEAN members to reduce economic disparities in the region andhelp ASEAN achieve its goal of becoming an economic community by 2015.

TheJakarta Post cited the Indonesian Foreign Ministry’s Secretary-Generalfor ASEAN, Djauhari Oratmangun, as saying that the plan calls for moreeffort to improve links in the region, including transport,institutions, trade and investment liberalisation as well as tourism andeducation.

According to the newspaper, experts havepraised the plan, saying that it is necessary to improve economicintegration and allow the region to compete with rising economic giants.

The Executive Director of the Centre for Strategic andInternational Studies (CSIS) in Jakarta , Rizal Sukma, said that byenhancing links within the bloc, investors would see the grouping of 560million people as one united market rather than as a number of separatecountries./.

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