Indonesia, Keating question proposed regional body

Updated June 6, 2008 18:07:57

Former PM Keating says it is inappropriate to press for an Asia-Pacific version of the European Union. [AFP]

The head of Indonesia's powerful foreign affairs committee has questioned the need to create a new Asia-Pacific body similar to the European Union.

The idea has been proposed by the Australian prime minister, Kevin Rudd.

The parliamentarian who heads Indonesia's powerful foreign affairs committee known as Commission One, Theo Sambuaga, says any move in that direction should be done through existing regional bodies such as the Association of South East Asian Nations.

"Rather than create a new body in the Asia-Pacific, why don't you push the development of ASEAN?" he said.

There has been no other formal response from the Indonesian government other than requests for more detail explaining the prime minister's ideas.

Keating says build APEC

Australia's former prime minister, Paul Keating, has criticised the idea of an Asia-Pacific union, saying it is unrealistic.

He warns that it will be a very difficult task - and not necessarily an appropriate one - to superimpose some sort of union across what he calls the disparate societies that make up the region.

He says it has taken China 350 years to recover its sovereignty, and he does not see the country sharing much of it.

Mr Keating wants to see APEC, the economic grouping that he helped set up, to remain the key regional body.

Prime Minister Rudd has responded, saying his idea is not modelled on the European Union.

Mr Rudd says the region should agree to co-operate on economic and political matters by 2020, but he says it would not be like the EU which has a common currency.