【General Information】 The formation of a forum between East Asia and Latin America was proposed by Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong when he visited Chile in October 1998. It is noted that countries between East Asia and Latin America are undergoing similar process for development. The Asian financial crises and the Latin American crises have shown even greater necessity for enhancing cooperation and sharing experience between countries within the two regions. Yet the links between countries in these two regions are relatively narrow. Therefore, the main purpose of the proposed East Asia -Latin America Forum (EALAF) would provide a broader platform for political, business and other leaders to exchange views and ideas on how to address problems and issues confronting the two regions, and to promote better understanding , dialogue and cooperation between countries in the two regions. The Forum should be informal and multi-tracked. It should include a political track, an economic track and an academic track which can involve both the public and private sectors. This proposal has won appreciation and support from some countries in the two regions.


【First Meeting】 The Inaugural Meeting of the EALAF was held in Singapore from 1-3 September 1999.


【Participating Countries】 The Meeting was attended by officials of the 27 member countries, namely China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar; Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Ecuador, Mexico; Australia and New Zealand.

【The Agenda and Results of the Meeting】 The meeting had a discusion on the Framework Document for the Forum in terms of its importance, purpose, principle, ideas for areas of cooperation and the appellation. The meeting noted that the Forum was launched at a time when the world is witnessing economic globalization and regional integration. It will bring about even closer ties between countries in East Asia and Latin America through promoting understanding and cooperation. It will also help increase the competetiveness of the two regions as a whole and that of those countries within the two regions, so that they are more capable of facing the challenges arising from the globlization in seeking for common development. Some participating countries believed, the formation of the Forum is conducive to stablizing bilateral relations between member states and promoting the global strategic balance.


The Meeting agreed that the Forum should target at multi-dimentional understanding and dialogue between the two regions. Areas of cooperation of both regions should cover dialogues concerning major international political and economic issues. The two regions will work together in areas such as trade, investment, exploration of human resources, science and technology, poverty elimination, environmental protection and cultural exchanges, etc.. Member states are encouraged to proposed projects of cooperation within the purpose and scope of the Forum on voluntary basis.


The Meeting also agreed that the Forum should be built on the basis of respecting each other's sovereignty, and refraining from interfering in other's internal affairs, treating each other as equals and seeking for common development. The Forum should also follow the principles of equal participation, consensus, incremental development and seeking common grounds while pushing aside differences. The Forum is of non-binding and non-mechanism.


Some participating countries noted at the meeting that, as neither Australia nor New Zealand belong to East Asian countries, the appellation of the Forum was proposed to be changed. Though the Meeting exchanged views on the appellation, it failed to reach consensus. It was agreed that the Forum keep the current appellation temporarily.


The Meeting proposed to work towards a Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Santiago, Chile, in the first quarter of 2001, including two Senior Official Meetings. The Meeting decided that each region will have a coordinator chosen among its respective members. The Meeting agreed that Singapore and Chile will be the leading coordinators in the year of 1999/2000.