PGMA's Speech during the Nikkei Conference Dinner |
Tsuru-Higashi Room, Hotel New Otani, Tokyo, Japan (21 May 2002) |
| THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HIS EXCELLENCY PRIME MINISTER KOIZUMI; HIS EXCELLENCY PRIME MINISTER MAHATHIR; HIS EXCELLENCY PRIME MINISTER BUNANG; MR. TSURUTA; MR. SUGITA; PARTICIPANTS OF THE 8th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF ASIA; DISTINGUISHED GUESTS; LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: I AM GREATLY HONORED TO JOIN YOU THIS EVENING AS I WAS HONORED TO GIVE THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS THIS MORNING. OUR DEEP APPRECIATION GOES TO MR. TSURUTA SACHO AND NIKKEI FOR INVITING US TO THE 8th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF ASIA. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT AND NIKKEI FOR THE WARM HOSPITALITY EXTENDED TO ALL OF US. SINCE THE START OF THE NIKKEI CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF ASIA, THE EAST ASIAN REGION HAS UNDERGONE TREMENDOUS TRANSFORMATION. IN 1995, ASEAN ONLY HAD SIX MEMBER COUNTRIES, TODAY WE ARE TEN. IN 1997, WE HAD THE ASIAN FINANCIAL CRISIS WHICH HIGHLIGHTED THE CLOSE INTERDEPENDENCE OF OUR ECONOMIES. WE ALSO DISCOVERED WITH GLADNESS THAT IN TIMES OF NEED, EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES LIKE JAPAN AND CHINA ARE THERE TO HELP US. WE CAME TOGETHER AT THE ASEAN+3 SUMMIT IN SINGAPORE IN THE YEAR 2000. THERE WE ARE DECIDED TO MOVE AHEAD TOWARDS GREATER FUNCTIONAL COOPERATION. AS A RESULT, WE HAVE A CURRENCY SWAP AGREEMENT INVOLVING JAPAN, CHINA, KOREA, SINGAPORE, MALAYSIA, PHILIPPINES AND THAILAND. EVENTUALLY, THIS COULD BE THE FOUNDATION FOR AN ASIAN MONETARY FUND. RECENTLY, CHINA JOINED THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION AFTER LONG AND TEDIOUS NEGOTIATIONS. CHINA HAS PROPOSED A FREE-TRADE AREA WITH ASEAN BY THE YEAR 2010 WHILE JAPAN IS PROPOSING AN ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH INDIVIDUAL ASEAN COUNTRIES. THESE ARE PART OF OUR SIGNIFICANT BENCHMARKS FOR THE FUTURE. BOTH OF THESE PROPOSALS, WHEN REALIZED, WILL FACILITATE THE FORMATION OF AN EAST ASIAN FREE-TRADE AREA. THIS WOULD CREATE ONE SINGLE MARKET OF SOME TWO BILLION PEOPLE WITH RISING DISPOSABLE INCOMES. RECENTLY, AFTER THE RECESSION OF 2001, EAST ASIA HAS SHOWN SIGNS OF POSITIVE RECOVERY POINTING TO A CLEAR PATH OF LONG TERM ECONOMIC GROWTH. OUR REGIONAL ECONOMY HAS FAIRED QUITE WELL IN THE LAST FEW DECADES. THE SEPTEMBER 11 EVENTS, HOWEVER, REFOCUSED OUR SIGHTS ON PARAMOUNT CONCERNS OF GLOBAL SECURITY. A CLOSER SCRUTINY OF OUR REGION REVEALS THAT IN TERMS OF INSTITUTIONS DEALING WITH POLITICAL AND SECURITY ISSUES, THE REGION OF EAST ASIA COMPARES QUITE POORLY WITH THE CONTINENT OF AFRICA WHICH HAS THE ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNION, THE AMERICAS WHICH HAS THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES, AND EUROPE WHICH HAS THE ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE. WHILE WE HAVE UNDER THE ASEAN FRAMEWORK THE ASEAN REGION FORUM, THE INSTITUTION HAS NOT DEVELOPED BEYOND THE INCIPIENT STAGE OF CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES. IT IS NECESSARY TO ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT AND STRENGTHENING OF INSTITUTIONS DEALING WITH POLITICAL AND SECURITY ISSUES IN OUR REGION. IN THIS CONTEXT, NIKKEI MIGHT WISH TO CONSIDER DEVOTING A PART OF THE FUTURE OF ASIA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TO POLITICAL AND SECURITY INSTITUTION BUILDING IN EAST ASIA. WE NEED A MORE SYMMETRIC DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN OUR ECONOMIC INSTITUTIONS ON THE ONE HAND AND THOSE OF OUR POLITICAL SECURITY INSTITUTIONS IN THE REGION. ONLY IN THIS WAY CAN WE ASSURE OURSELVES OF BETTER PROSPECTS FOR PEACE AND PROSPERITY IN EAST ASIA FOR THE 21st CENTURY. THANK YOU AGAIN, AND MAY THIS GATHERING BE AN ADDED IMPETUS TO UNITY AND SOLIDARITY IN EAST ASIA. MABUHAY! |