As per the MoU, signed here on Thursday by Asean secretary general Rodolfo C Severino, the EU will contribute $6.12 million to co-finance the programme over a period of five years, an Asean statement said here.

The signing of the MoU reflects the Asean's strong interest in continuing its cooperation with the EU in the field of standards, quality and conformity assessment initiated almost a decade ago, the statement said.

The programme will strengthen economic and business cooperation with the EU, assist in the Asean's efforts to liberalise its economy and promote and facilitate international trade through compatible quality structures, standards and conformity assessment procedures, it added.

The strengthening of the quality infrastructure in the Asean and the exchangeof good practices between economic sectors of Asean and EU would further consolidate their relations as they approach the new millennium.

It said the the people of Asean will benefit from the programme through the transfer of expertise and knowledge.

The training to be provided under the programme will help develop a pool of Asean specialists on standards and conformity assessment, it said.

According to Severino, the promotion of a "quality culture" in the region through the programme would enable Asean products to gain international recognition and greater market access, particularly to Europe.

The statement also noted that the EU has been supporting and providing technical assistance to the Asean in such sectors of cooperation as trade, small and medium industries, intellectual property rights, science and technology, energy, environment agriculture and forestry, transport and communications, human resources development and narcotics control.

Such cooperative endeavours have benefited the Aseanand have helped develop long-term and stable relations between the public and private sectors of Asean and the EU, it added.