February 2006 - Opinions by scholars and experts on Asian Economic Integration

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Opinions < 2006< February
	What lies beneath: getting to all that oil and gas Mani Shankar Aiyar , Union minister for panchayati raj and sports and youth affairs, held the petroleum and natural gas portfolio from May 2004 to January 2006 The Indian Express, February 25, 2006
	Meet the Man Who Is Brining Asia Together By William Pesek Jr. Bloomberg, February 15, 2006
	East Asian countries can achieve Europe's standard of living: SM Goh By Dominique Loh, Channel NewsAsia
	East Asia needs genuine regional integration Kak Soo Shin, South Korean Deputy Permanent Representative of the Mission to the United Nations. February 16, 2006
	Need a bolder approach to integrate Asia Rajiv Kumar, Director, ICRIER and Former Chief Economist, CII Financial Express, February 2, 2006
What lies beneath: getting to all that oil and gas Mani Shankar Aiyar , Union minister for panchayati raj and sports and youth affairs, held the petroleum and natural gas portfolio from May 2004 to January 2006 The Indian Express, February 25, 2006 At present, hydrocarbons — oil and gas — account for about 45 per cent of the national energy basket. Over the next two decades, the share of natural gas in our energy needs is expected to rise from the present level of about 6 per cent to 20 per cent while the contribution of oil and gas together is likely to remain at under just half of our total energy requirements. Therefore, whatever we do about coal or nuclear energy or non-conventional sources of energy or alternative fuels, in substantial measure energy security will continue to be hydrocarbons security. Therefore, India’s only hope would be to ensure energy security through integration with the Asian hydrocarbons economy. And since the Asian hydrocarbons economy is an integral part of the global energy economy, any Asian regional cooperation would have to seamlessly merge into global energy cooperation. Click here to read further: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=88522 Back to Top Meet the Man Who Is Bringing Asia Together By William Pesek Jr. Bloomberg, February, 15 2006 The next time you think your job is impossible, think of Haruhiko Kuroda. It's not that the Oxford-trained economist and former Japanese Ministry of Finance official is a glory hound. Rather, Kuroda is one of the few policy makers who understand the importance of greater cooperation in Asia and are in a position to do something about it. Click here to read further : http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000039&refer=columnist_pesek&sid=aRHJe.VMqtFI Back to Top East Asian countries can achieve Europe's standard of living: SM Goh By Dominique Loh, Channel NewsAsia Singapore's Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong also believes many countries in East Asia have a good chance of joining countries in the First World by 2030 or 2050 at the latest. In the next 25 years or so, countries in East Asia can achieve Europe's present standard of living. Mr Goh gave his vision of an East Asian renaissance during his keynote address at the 4th Asia-Pacific Round Table. There is a re-awakening, resurgence and renewed vibrancy in East Asia but Mr Goh said the region is also diverse geopolitically. But Mr Goh believes East Asia's integration will be driven by the commercial logic of the market. Click here to read further : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/191855/1/.html> Back to Top East Asia needs genuine regional integration Kak Soo Shin, South Korean Deputy Permanent Representative of the Mission to the United Nations. February 16, 2006 East Asia took another significant step toward regional integration by holding the first East Asia Summit (EAS) in Kuala Lumpur in December. While the birth of this broader regional framework is welcome given the inchoate state of regionalism in East Asia, the EAS deviated from what the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) initially pursued. It is high time to consider the implications of the EAS for the prospect of East Asian regionalism. Triggered and propelled by natural economic forces, East Asian regionalism has lagged far behind those in other regions. The slow regional integration in East Asia might be ascribed to several factors, such as profound diversity in many fields, great power rivalry and lack of trust. Click here to read further : http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200602160131.html> Back to Top Need a bolder approach to integrate Asia Rajiv Kumar, Director, ICRIER and Former Chief Economist, CII Financial Express, February 2, 2006 At the recently concluded Davos conference, one session was devoted to a discussion on the prospects for integration of Asian economies. A high- powered panel was put together—it included Mr P Chidambram, India’s finance minister, Mr H Kuroda, the ADB president, Dr Mary Pengistu, Indonesia’s minister for trade, Professor Takatashi Ito of Tokyo University. There were the usual rhetoric references to Asia being the growth engine for the global economy, the sterling economic performance of Asian economies including those in South Asia, and the extensive complementarities that exist within the region, pointing to the huge potential for trade and investment expansion within the region. The discussion invariably veered around the large number of regional trade agreements (RTAs)—either already signed or in the pipeline—and their likely impact on expansion of intra-regional trade and on deeper economic cooperation in the future. Click here to read further : http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=116316> Back to Top