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JOINT STATEMENT BRUNEI
DARUSSALAM-INDONESIA-MALAYSIA-THE PHILIPPINES-EAST ASEAN GROWTH AREA (BIMP-EAGA)
LEADERS' MEETING
BALI, 6 OCTOBER 2003
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We, the Leaders of Brunei
Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines held a meeting today
to discuss the development in the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines
East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). Our discussion primarily focused on
reviewing the activities undertaken thus far by BIMP-EAGA, and determining
the future direction of the development in the sub-region.
We reaffirmed the importance of BIMP-EAGA as a sub-regional growth area
within the overall context of bridging the development gaps in ASEAN, and
the importance of accelerating its economic development to improve the
livelihood of its inhabitants, ensure the fair distribution of the
benefits of growth, increase prosperity, and maintain security and
stability in the sub-region.
We noted the on-going progress in the sub-regional cooperation led by the
private sector under the East ASEAN Business Council (EABC) and the
support of regional governments by providing various investment incentives
and trade facilitation schemes. To better respond to the needs of the
private sector, we tasked our relevant ministers to develop more
attractive trade and investment regimes, promote the development of
external trade and undertake measures to eliminate trade impediments so as
to reduce the cost of doing business in the BIMP-EAGA region.
We are determined to enhance the BIMP-EAGA initiatives by strengthening
the institutional set-up of the BIMP-EAGA sub-regional cooperation. We
therefore tasked our concerned ministers and senior officials to
strengthen the coordinating mechanism of the BIMP-EAGA cooperation with
the establishment of a BIMP-EAGA Facilitation Centre in Kota Kinabalu and
by empowering national focal point institutions. We commended the
Government of Malaysia for providing the support to the establishment of
the Centre.
We agreed to pursue a more pragmatic approach in forging cooperation by
initiating BIMP-EAGA flagship projects that will produce greater impact in
the sub-region. We endorsed the recommendation of our ministers and senior
officials to focus, among others, on cooperation in tourism,
transportation, and agro-industry sectors, even as they continue to
cooperate in other prime-mover sectors which reflect the strength of the
sub-region.
We tasked our transport ministers to meet and take the lead in further
promoting the development of land, air and sea linkages so as to encourage
the flow of tourists, goods and services.
We acknowledged with
appreciation the support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as the
regional development advisor of BIMP-EAGA, and the ASEAN Secretariat, and
requested their continued support for the formulation and implementation
of the BIMP-EAGA development programmes in line with the Initiative for
ASEAN Integration (IAI).
We welcomed the support of the Plus 3 countries (China, Japan, and Korea)
in the development of the BIMP-EAGA. Their participation in the future of
the sub-region will contribute towards achieving our long-term vision of
an integrated East Asian Community. We also take note of the interest of
the Northern Territory of Australia to establish close linkages and
partnership with the BIMP-EAGA region.
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