MidnightCall Magazine
News From Israel MagazinePrime Minister Wants EU-style Bloc for Asia-Pacific
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has suggested that Asia and Pacific countries, including the region's heavyweights such as China, India and Japan, form a regional bloc similar to the European Union."The key thing is to enhance security and regional co-operation, which at present is fragmented," Rudd said in a radio interview, AFP has reported, after he presented the idea during an address to the Asia Society of Australasia. He argued that an "Asia-Pacific Community" could be founded by 2020 as a forum for tackling climate change and terrorism, as well as settling territorial conflicts, such as over Kashmir, the Taiwan Straits and the Korean peninsula.Furthermore, it could serve as a trade platform to help exploit the benefits of the looming economic power of the region, which he thinks will be "at the centre of global affairs" throughout this century.
"Put simply, global economic and strategic weight is shifting to Asia," he said.
Commenting on possible comparisons with the 27-strong European Union—which is set to enlarge further—Mr Rudd said that it does not serve as "an identical model of what we would seek to develop in the Asia-Pacific, but what we can learn from Europe is this: It is necessary to take the first step," according to Radio Australia.
His suggestions come shortly after a similar process of regional integration has resulted in the creation of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), set up by a founding treaty signed in May.
Other regional groupings inspired by Europe include a single market without trade barriers for goods and services agreed by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as the African Union.
-euobserver.com, 5 June 2008
The world is uniting. Under the exemplary guidance of Europe, various economic power blocs continue to grow. Europe leads with its practical experience, operating with diverse languages, culture, tradition, customs, and religion. Based on that experience, laws are being written and are becoming effective in many parts of the world. One does not need great imagination to see that European laws will become effective for the entire world. Here we must emphasize that this is the great imitation of the powers of darkness who rule planet Earth in opposition to the law which is to come forth from Jerusalem: “And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Micah 4:2).
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