PGMA's Speech during the Official Dinner hosted by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Madame Khunying Potjaman Shinawatra

PGMA's Speech during the Official Dinner hosted by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Madame Khunying Potjaman Shinawatra

Santi Mari Hall, Government House Bankok, Thailand (07 May 2002)

YOUR EXCELLENCY PRIME MINISTER THAKSIN SHINAWATRA, MADAME KHUNYING POTJAMAN SHINAWATRA, ESTEEMED OFFICIALS OF THE ROYAL THAI GOVERNMENT, YOUR EXCELLENCIES OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS, MY COLLEAGUES IN THE PHILIPPINE DELEGATION, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: SAWASDEE KAH!

I AM HONORED TO BE IN THAILAND ONCE AGAIN. I HAVE BEEN HERE MANY TIMES BEFORE, BUT THIS IS MY FIRST TIME AS PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES.

AND IN BEHALF OF ATTY. JOSE MIGUEL ARROYO AND MY DELEGATION, I THANK THE ROYAL GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF THAILAND FOR THE WARM HOSPITALITY AND GENEROUS ASSISTANCE BEING EXTENDED TO US DURING OUR STAY.

OUR NATIONAL AND FAMILY RELATIONS ARE LAID UPON A LONG SPAN OF HISTORY, TRADITION, GOODWILL AND PARTNERSHIP. AS THE PRIME MINISTER SAID, WHEN MY FATHER, DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL, WAS PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES, IT WAS OUR FAMILY'S AND NATION'S HONOR TO HOST THE VISIT TO THE PHILIPPINES OF THEIR MAJESTIES THE KING AND THE QUEEN OF THAILAND.

FIFTY THREE YEARS OF CLOSE AND CONSTRUCTIVE COLLABORATION IN BILATERAL, REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ISSUES ARE A TESTAMENT TO THE DURABLE COMMITMENT OF OUR GOVERNMENT'S AND PEOPLE'S TO ASSIST EACH OTHER, WORK TOGETHER, AND GROW ALONGSIDE ONE ANOTHER.

WE HAVE SHARED THE LEGACY AND RESPONSIBILITY OF BEING THE UNSWERVING PILLARS OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN FREEDOM IN ALL ITS VIBRANCY AND DYNAMISM. AND JUST EARLIER TONIGHT, I GAVE A GIFT TO THE PRIME MINISTER -- A 16th CENTURY JAR MADE IN SUKOTAI, THAILAND WHICH WAS FOUND IN A WRECK OFF THE COAST OF ZAMBALES IN THE PHILIPPINES. THIS SHOWS THAT WE HAVE BEEN TOGETHER NOT ONLY FOR 53 YEARS BUT FOR MANY, MANY CENTURIES.

INTER-DEPENDENCE, BASED ON FAIRNESS AND MUTUALITY, PROPELS NATIONS TOWARDS PROSPERITY AS IT HELPS THEM COLLECTIVELY SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES AND FACE THE CHALLENGES OF THE 21st CENTURY.

OUR TRADE WITH THAILAND HAS ALWAYS BEEN STEEPED WITH SOLID VALUE. THAILAND IS THE MAIN SOURCE OF RICE AND SUGAR WHENEVER THE PHILIPPINES FINDS IT NECESSARY TO IMPORT THESE PRODUCE. BUT EVEN GREATER VALUE LIES IN THE VIBRANCY OF OUR BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND THE DYNAMIC INTERACTION OF OUR RESPECTIVE PRIVATE SECTORS.

MUCH OF OUR RELATIONS IN TRADE AND INVESTMENT OPERATE IN THE CONTEXT OF BROADER ASEAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION. AS MENTIONED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, THE ADVENT OF THE ASEAN FREE TRADE AREA OR AFTA, THE ASEAN INVESTMENT AREA, THE ASEAN INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION OR AICO SCHEME HAD SPURRED THE RAPID EXPANSION OF INTRA-REGIONAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT, AND IN TURN, OUR OWN BILATERAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS.

ONE GOOD EXAMPLE IS THE SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP UNDER THE AICO SCHEME OF FORD MOTORS PHILIPPINES AND THE AUTO ALLIANCE OF THAILAND. THIS COLLABORATION HAS RESULTED IN THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH-QUALITY AND AFFORDABLE VEHICLES, INCREASED EMPLOYMENT FOR THE PHILIPPINES AND THAILAND, MINIMIZED DUPLICATION OF REGIONAL RESOURCES, AND PUSHED THE CONSOLIDATION OF EXPERTISE AND FACILITIES.

UNQUESTIONABLY, THAILAND IS THE REGIONAL LEADER IN TOURISM, AND MUCH CAN BE LEARNED FROM YOUR SUCCESS STORY. THERE ARE ALSO MORE THAN10 MILLION FOREIGN TOURISTS GOING TO THAILAND WHO CAN BE ENCOURAGED TO INCLUDE THE PHILIPPINES IN THEIR ITINERARY.

LAST YEAR, WHEN PRIME MINISTER THAKSIN VISITED MANILA, WE BOTH AGREED TO UNDERTAKE CLOSER COOPERATION IN TOURISM, PARTICULARLY THROUGH A TWINNING PROGRAM TO PROMOTE THE PHILIPPINES AND THAILAND AS A SINGLE DESTINATION. THE TOURISM AGENCIES OF BOTH COUNTRIES HAVE LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR SUCH A PROGRAM, STARTING WITH -- AS THE PRIME MINISTER SAID -- A JOINT ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN. THE PRIME MINISTER AND I SHARE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS VENTURE, WHICH IS BEING FUELED BY THE KEEN EFFORTS OF TOUR OPERATORS AND TRAVEL AGENTS OF THE PHILIPPINES AND THAILAND. AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO NOTE THAT MY MINISTER OF TOURISM, DICK GORDON -- WHO NAMED HIS GRANDSON AFTER PRIME MINISTER THAKSIN -- NOW HAS THE PHONE NUMBER OF HIS COUNTERPART HERE IN THAILAND. (LAUGHTER)

BUT THE PURSUIT OF DEVELOPMENT IS NOT AN EASY CHALLENGE ESPECIALLY NOW AMIDST THE THREAT OF TERRORISM. ARREST OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS IN RECENT MONTHS ALL OVER SOUTHEAST ASIA REVEAL THE PRESENCE OF TERRORIST CELLS ALL OVER SOUTHEAST ASIA. THIS INDICATES THE NEED FOR CLOSER MULTILATERAL COOPERATION IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE. THE PHILIPPINES LOOKS TO ASEAN FOR THE KEYS TO REGIONAL SECURITY.

JUST BEFORE COMING HERE, AS THE PRIME MINISTER RECOUNTED, I WITNESSED THE SIGNING IN KUALA LUMPUR OF AN AGREEMENT ON THE INFORMATION EXCHANGE AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNICATION PROCEDURES AMONG THE PHILIPPINES, MALAYSIA AND INDONESIA. THIS AGREEMENT PROVIDES FOR A SUB-REGIONAL FRAMEWORK TO FACILITATE COOPERATION AND INTER-OPERABILITY TO ADDRESS BORDER AND SECURITY INCIDENTS, TERRORISM AND TRANSNATIONAL CRIMES, AND OTHER ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES OCCURRING WITHIN THE THREE COUNTRIES' TERRITORIES.

UPON INDONESIA'S RECOMMENDATION, AND MY OWN ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT AS WELL AS PRIME MINISTER MAHATHIR, WE INVITED THAILAND TO JOIN US IN THAT AGREEMENT. AND WE ARE VERY HAPPY THAT TODAY, HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRIME MINISTER SAID, HE IS JOINING THAT AGREEMENT. INDEED, YOU ARE OUR INDISPENSABLE ALLY IN REGIONAL SECURITY AS YOU ARE OUR BILATERAL PARTNER IN SECURITY FOR A LONG TIME NOW. IN MUCH THE SAME WAY, GREATER EXCHANGES BETWEEN OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AND MILITARY COMMANDERS GREATLY ENHANCE OUR EFFORTS TO CURB CRIME AND TERRORISM.

WE ARE DEEPLY CONVINCED OF THE HISTORICAL VALIDITY OF ASEAN REGIONALISM. IN A WORLD OF UNCERTAIN SECURITY AND ECONOMIC FLUX, WE KNOW THAT THE INDIVIDUAL NATIONS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA, EVEN ONE AS LARGE AS INDONESIA OR AS ECONOMICALLY ADVANCED AS SINGAPORE CANNOT HAVE PEACE, CANNOT THRIVE, CANNOT HOPE TO PROSPER, CANNOT HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE UNLESS WE WORK TOGETHER, STAND TOGETHER, POOL OUR RESOURCES, SHARE MORE AND MORE OF OUR INTERESTS, TRUST ONE ANOTHER, AND INCREASINGLY SPEAK AS ONE IN THE COUNCILS OF THE WORLD.

TO THE PROMISE AND CHALLENGE OF GLOBALIZATION, TO THE EBB AND FLOW OF ECONOMIC ADVERSITY AND OPPORTUNITY, WE SUBSCRIBE TO ASEAN'S RESPONSE -- DOMESTIC REFORM, THE ECONOMIC INTEGRATION OF OUR VARIOUS ECONOMIES, INDEED, I BELIEVE WE COULD ADD MORE IMPETUS TO OUR POLITICAL COOPERATION NOT ONLY WITHIN ASEAN BUT ALSO BILATERALLY.

IN MUCH THE SAME WAY, OUR TARGETS IN AFTA AND AIA CONTINUED TO BE MET AT A REWARDING PACE, SO SHOULD TARGET BE SET TOWARDS THE REGION'S COLLECTIVE POLITICAL GOALS TO ENSURE PEACE, STABILITY AND CONTINUED SOLIDARITY.

THE ENHANCEMENT OF OUR RELATIONS IS MEANT TO BENEFIT A GREATER NUMBER OF OUR PEOPLES. IN SEEKING INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, WE OPEN DOORS FOR OUR PEOPLES TO INTERACT, TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER, TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER, TO LIVE IN HARMONY. IT IS AT THIS LEVEL WHERE KINSHIP IS TRULY ACHIEVED AND WHERE THE SUCCESS OF FORMAL RELATIONS SHOULD BE MEASURED.

IN THIS SPIRIT, I AM CONFIDENT THAT WITH CONTINUING SOLIDARITY, MUTUAL TRUST AND FAITHFUL COLLABORATION, THE PHILIPPINES AND THAILAND WILL REAP THE REWARDS OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM.

MAY I, THEREFORE, ASK EVERYONE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, TO JOIN ME IN A TOAST TO THE GOOD HEALTH AND CONTINUED SUCCESS OF PRIME MINISTER THAKSIN SHINAWATRA AND THE FURTHER ENHANCEMENT OF THE FRIENDLY AND MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL RELATIONS BETWEEN THE PHILIPPINES AND THAILAND.

MABUHAY!

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