A.S.E.A.N. displeased

Press, 21 October 1983, Page 6

A.S.E.A.N. displeased

NZPA Bangkok The Association of SouthEast Asian Nations has decided to postpone economic talks with Australia to mark its displeasure over Canberra’s stand on Kampuchea, said A.S.E.A.N. officials yesterday.

Officials said the decision to postpone economic talks with Australia, scheduled for next Monday in Sydney, was discussed informally during a three-day A.S.E.A.N. Economic Ministers meeting which ended in Bangkok yesterday. The,move came after the decision by A.S.E.A.N. Foreign Ministers in New

York earlier this month that a joint move be taken against Australia over the latter’s refusal to co-spon-sor an A.S.E.A.N. resolution on Kampuchea during the United Nations’ General Assembly meeting. The A.S.EA.N. resolution called for a complete withdrawal of the estimated 150,000 to 170,000 Vietnamese troops stationed in Kampuchea. Officials said that the A.S.E.A.N. Economic Ministers had agreed that Indonesia, the present chairman of the A.S.E.A.N. standing committee, would inform the Australian

Government of the indefinite postponement of the talks. A.S.EA.N. groups Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand. Australia’s trade with A.S.E.A.N. during the fiscal year ending last June totalled sAust3.s billion (?NZ4.B billion) with a surplus of sAust373 million in favour of Canberra. A.S.EA.N. Foreign Ministers are scheduled to hold a conference in Jakarta on November 6 and 7 and expected to outline more clearly future relations between A.S.E.A.N. and Australia.