EU, U.S. may join ASEAN treaty at regional forum: official

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, July 17 (Yonhap) -- The European Union and the United States may sign a
cooperation and non-aggression treaty with the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) during a major security forum to be held in Thailand next week, a
South Korean government official said Friday.

"The EU and the U.S. may accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC)
during the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)," the official said, asking not to be
named.
The TAC, signed in 1976, calls for signatories to renounce the use or threat of
force and requires peaceful settlement of conflicts. Fifteen non-ASEAN nations,
including South Korea and China, have joined the pact. North Korea signed it last
year during the previous ARF session in Singapore.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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