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APEC not for expansion

SINGAPORE: The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum has decided against expanding its membership for now. The issue will be discussed afresh in 2010.

India, seen as a possible candidate for APEC membership, will, therefore, continue to remain outside the premier economic forum. The United States, China, Japan, Russia, and Australia are among the 21 APEC economies, so named because of their inclusion of a few non-sovereign players.

The APEC leaders discussed the membership moratorium at their Sydney summit which ended on Sunday. The moratorium, imposed 10 years ago, will now stay at least until 2010.

Announcing this, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who chaired the Sydney summit, did not mention India as an affected candidate. Nor was there any reference to India in the final declaration. India is not a Pacific-rim state, and its potential contribution for the enhancement of APEC’s “regional integration” may become a litmus test, according to diplomatic observers.

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