Extracts. Story Filed: Tuesday, January 16, 2001 10:26 AM EST JAN 16, 2001, M2 Communications - Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia have indicated that they intend to increase co-operation between their respective aviation authorities and airlines. Speaking at a sub-regional air transport co-operation meeting held in Ho Chi Minh City last week, the deputy director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam stated: 'The regionalisation and globalisation of the world economy offer opportunities and pose challenges to all economic sectors. They must either survive and develop or be isolated and left behind.' The four ASEAN countries will attempt to work together to liberalise the aviation sector in order to promote co-operation and increase services and competitiveness, reported Asia Pulse. ((Comments on this story may be sent to [EMAIL PROTECTED])) AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-Copyright 1997-2001 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD **** Tuesday, January 16 2:49 PM SGT German Fin Min Says "No Chance" To Asian Version of EU SINGAPORE (AP)--Germany's Finance Minister said Tuesday that Asia had "no chance" of creating a common market or a common currency in the near future because the region was too politically and economically divided. Hans Eichel, on an overnight stopover in Singapore, said recent calls for an Asian version of the European Union were premature because "regional cooperation in Europe is political" whereas in Asia "it is not as friendly." During a breakfast lecture in Singapore, Eichel said the E.U. was formed in the wake of World War II in an effort to maintain peace and that the common market was a result of, not a prelude to, the political union. "There is no chance in Asia today to have a common currency because there is no chance to have common political policies or have common economic policies," Eichel said. He said Europe's common market and monetary union were a sign of strong regional cooperation. "Cooperation in Asia I think is not as friendly," he said. Singapore said earlier this month that Asia should create its own version of the E.U., saying the region needed more integration to compete and thrive in an increasingly technological world. Singapore's Yeo Cheow Tong, minister for communications and information technology, said Asia should build a model of "regionalism" similar to the E.U.'s, but not necessarily of the same "brand." Asian leaders have often said that their idea of regionalism is purely economic, unlike Europe's which includes political and human rights issues. Yet even economic integration in Asia isn't nearly as advanced as in Europe, with much work still do be done before free-trade zones are created. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is working toward a regional free trade zone. The Asean Free Trade Area, or AFTA, aims to eliminate most tariffs within the Southeast Asia by 2002. Asean member countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
