Taipei, Nov. 29 (CNA) A visiting former United Nations commission head said Saturday that Taiwan should be allowed to take part in international organizations for the sake of peace and prosperity in East Asia.

“Taiwan should be given the opportunity to relate to other members in international agencies,” if the world expects lasting peace in the East Asian region, said Lee Samuel, former secretary-general of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, in an interview with the Central News Agency.

With the Taiwan Strait long considered a flash point in the region, the issue has to be dealt with if the regional countries intend to establish a peaceful grouping similar to the European Union, he stressed.

He said, however, that “peace is more important” than any potential agreement on Taiwan’s status the two sides of the strait may eventually reach. The most important thing is for divided countries to develop a way to coexist with each other through dialogue and cooperation, he added.

Citing the Korean experience, he said that any efforts to find solutions through peaceful means should be recognized as positive, and that governments in disputes have to venture, once there is a chance of securing peaceful results.

However, the process of external negotiations should be based on internal consensus obtained by means of adequate communication, otherwise “peaceful talks with an outside enemy can also produce inside enemies,” he cautioned.

In the 1960′s, Lee was exiled from South Korea because of his participation in the April Student Revolution, which eventually brought down then President Syngman Rhee. When Lee returned to his homeland some 20 years later, he became actively involved in civil movements and advocated the peaceful reunification of the two Koreas.

He is currently visiting Taiwan and gave a speech earlier Saturday on South Korea’s path to democracy. (By Jian Chen) Enditem /pc