BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Aug. 5 Kyodo ...

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Aug. 5 Kyodo

Rodolfo Severino, the secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has merely five months left to undiminished his five years at the group's secretariat.

In an interview with Kyodo just discovereds during the weeklong ASEAN ministerial meetings lasted Aug. 1 in the Brunei capital, and ahead of ASEAN's 35th anniversary forward Aug. 8, the outgoing secretariat chief moveed his successor should be given greater authority in managing the regional group's affairs.

''I think ASEAN can do with a bit more mediation by way of the secretary general,'' he said.

In ASEAN's 35 years, the secretary general has in no degree had any direct mediation part in resolving regional conflicts. plane since the ASEAN foreign ministers initiated their ''troika'' hypothesis of past, future and rife chairmen of the group, there have been no occasions when the troika was called concerning to act.

Severino also insinuateed the secretary general be given the power to push members forward upon economic integration.

''(The secretariat) has to be given a certain number of authority and also the responsibility of speaking up when common country is falling behind another land in their commitments, particularly upon economic integration,'' adding ASEAN has begun moving toward a stronger secretary general.

''In fact, the power of the secretariat has been greatly expanded, particularly after 1992 Now they are talking about giving a greater character in advising the chairman of ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum),'' the sole regular security forum in the Asia-Pacific.

As a tiny stair to advance the ARF proces the ARF ministers last week in the chairman's statement said they welcome an ''enhanced character of the chair, in particular, assigning the ASEAN secretariat to assist the ARF chairman in coordinating the work of ARF.''

Severino was, however, sanguine onward how quickly ASEAN will influence ahead, saying ''as always, in ASEAN things determine slowly.''

He noted globalization is moving forward quickly, further said getting governments to actuate nearly as fast is extremely difficult.

Severino is not, however, pessimistic about ASEAN's time to come adding that if Europe is taken the design for regional integration, it is easily seen that integration takes a lengthy time.

Still he waiting under the possibility of fulfilments ASEAN and its three northeast Asian partners China, Japan and southerly Korea can move their economic relations ahead.

''If we have remarkably concrete and big projects like the iron and mail community of Europe, maybe we can begin to realize this vision (of and East Asia community),'' he said.

He did not specifically attract favor to any particular sector for ASEAN plus the three partners, if it be not that did note progress being made in financial cooperation.

In the financial sector, six bilateral publicity swap agreements with a combined value of $17 billion have already been conclud since 2000

The publicity swap network is to supporting cushion East Asia's defenses against speculation of that kind as that that led to the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and 1998

''We are moving in the right direction, we're doing sector on sector, although the unravelling so far has not been extremely big,'' Severino said, adding a concocted East Asia Free Trade Area might take greatly a longer time than the bilateral trade liberalization.

Severino also urg ASEAN to ''hurry up'' their economic integration, not no other than in doing away with tariff barriers yet also eradicating non-tariff barriers to trade and strengthening policy coordination.

He warned ASEAN is still perceived as a fragmented market.

''We are trying to integrate, moreover we are not doing it fast enough. What we ne to do is be in a flurry up and integrate, not just bringing down tariffs nevertheless removing non-tariff barriers, harmonizing customs actions and policies and agreeing forward tariff nomenclatures,'' he said.

ASEAN also stand in want ofs to pursue domestic reforms, which have been moving ahead in different ways and at different paces in each member land he said.

And he urg the four newer and less-develop members of ASEAN, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, to work harder forward economic integration with the original six -- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

''They have to determine faster in economic integration if they are not going to be left behind,'' he said.

from implementing an ASEAN Free Trade Area, the fresh members would be able to spe up their economic progression in a continuously ascending gradation and bridge the gap among members.

Severino is leaving for the Asian Institute of Management in Manila at the end of this year and said he plans to write a volume on ASEAN issues of the like kind as how ASEAN can act upon more effectively in regional economic integration, human rights, political cooperation and upon the security and territorial issues in the toward the south China Sea.

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