EUHR Solana's remarks at the ASEAN Regional Forum

Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), made the following remarks today on the occasion of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)in Jakarta:

"The European Union continues to attach high value to our participation in the ARF, a unique forum for dialogue on security policy issues in the Asia-Pacific region.

The European Union is committed to working closely with its international partners to combat the common security threats which face us, most notably terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Terrorists use increasingly sophisticated techniques to operate with impunity across national borders. The spread of weapons of mass destruction has been slowed by the long-established international treaty regimes and export control measures, but has continued. There is an urgent need to ensure such technology never falls into the hands of terrorists.

To combat these threats, EU Member States have agreed and are implementing wide-ranging and challenging plans of action. And in both areas, the EU has made clear our need and determination to co-operate closely with our international partners. Effective multilateral action is essential to our success in these areas. Working together, we will be far more effective. The EU supports fully the declarations we are agreeing today on these issues, and will play its full part in their implementation.

The ARF can and should be a powerful motor for action in these priority areas. Counter-terrorism and proliferation are obvious examples of areas where the ARF can advance its activity in confidence building, preventive diplomacy and conflict resolution. The EU will support the Chairman in Office in ensuring necessary action is taken, a task which we hope will be made easier by the welcome establishment of the ARF unit within the secretariat of ASEAN.

For the first time, the EU will co-chair the Inter-sessional Group on Confidence Building Measures (CBM) for the period 2004-2005, together with Cambodia. We are very much looking forward to this opportunity. "

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• Speech by Commissioner Mandelson: Tilting the global balance: Asia's new trade growth (29/4/2005)
• EUHR Solana's remarks at the EU-ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference (1/7/2004)