Clark sees scope for building links with Asia

Helen Clark

Prime Minister Helen Clark says the East Asian Summit she has just attended in Malaysia could lead to significant regional "community building".

New Zealand and Australia attended the summit this year for the first time, invited by the 10 Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) members because of their economic links and contributions to development.

Miss Clark said today the summit had presented "tremendous opportunities" for personal contact with the leaders of the Asean nations.

She said she held bilateral talks with the leaders of China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and several others.

"We're taking the view that the summit is a significant development... the declaration issued by the summit spoke of community building," she said on National Radio.

"For us, down at the foot of the South Pacific, it means something.

"We're on a journey, we don't quite know how far it will go, but I think it's a positive one."

Miss Clark was asked about comments by the summit's host, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who said New Zealand and Australia had been invited because of "common interests" and not because they were considered to be part of the East Asian community.

Miss Clark said those remarks were made by Mr Badawi at the opening of the summit.

"It was... that New Zealand and Australia are not thought of as Asian countries, their people are not predominantly Asian, but on the other hand they are very close (to Asian countries) in many ways," she said.

"That is why we were at the summit."

Miss Clark said the Asean countries had debate long and hard about the criteria for participation in the summit.

"It came down to significant economic relationships, a long history of involvement in the area, and being prepared to sign the Treaty of Amity and Co-operation," she said.

"We met all the criteria... and we're taking this one step at a time."

- NZPA