AFRICA SHOULD REPLICATE ASEAN'S LONG-ESTABLISHED REGIONAL COOPERATION: FORMER PM

By Massita Ahmad
PUTRAJAYA, (Bernama) - African countries should replicate the
strong regional cooperation prevailing in Asean in efforts to foster economic
integration among them, said Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"Asean is a good example for member-countries to understand and cooperate
with one another, ensure regional stability, do well economically, and help
poorer nations," the former prime minister told reporters on the sidelines of
the first day of the ninth edition of the Langkawi International Dialogue (LID)
2011 here Sunday.

Earlier, Abdullah, who is the Commonwealth Partnership for Technology
Management (CPTM) Fellow Emeritus, moderated a forum on poverty eradication,
held in conjunction with the LID Sunday.

He said Asean currently enjoyed a certain prosperity, adding that the region
was peaceful, stable and doing well economically.

"Some Asean members are doing well, and because of that we have been able to
help poorer Asean (countries) benefit from economic prosperity and stability of
the region," he said.

Asean, with a population of about 600 million people, is a geo-political and
economic organisation of countries located in Southeast Asia. Formed on Aug 8,
1967, it comprises Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand,
Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

Its aims include the acceleration of economic growth, social progress,
cultural development among members, protection of the peace and stability of the
region, and to provide opportunities for member-countries to discuss differences
peacefully.