PGMA's Opening Statement during a Press Conference

Function Rooms 1 & 2, Mezzanine, Melia Hanoi Hotel Hanoi, Socialist Republic of Vietnam (06 Nov 2002)
GOOD EVENING.

I'M GLAD TO VISIT THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM UPON THE INVITATION OF HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT TRAN DUC LUONG. THE VISIT IS TIMELY AS IT COMES AFTER MY TRIP FROM MEXICO FOR THE APEC LEADERS MEETING AND THE ASEAN SUMMIT IN PHNOM PENH. IT WRAPS UP OUR COMPREHENSIVE EFFORTS TO FOCUS ON TWO VITAL CONCERNS -- THE ECONOMY AND THE SECURITY.

VIETNAM AND THE PHILIPPINES ARE NEIGHBORS, SEPARATED ONLY BY A SEA, THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.

I DEEPLY APPRECIATE VIETNAM'S SUPPORT FOR THE DECLARATION ON THE CONDUCT OF PARTIES IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, WHICH WAS SIGNED TWO DAYS AGO DURING THE 8TH ASEAN SUMMIT, AND WHICH II CONSIDER MOST SIGNIFICANT FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF PHILIPPINE NATIONAL INTEREST.

NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE DECLARATION STARTED 4 YEARS AGO AFTER ASEAN PROMULGATED THE 1998 HANOI PLAN OF ACTION WHICH CALLED FOR A REGIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. VIETNAM'S UNSTINTING COOPERATION IN THE 4 YEARS THAT THE DECLARATION WAS BEING NEGOTIATED PAVED THE WAY FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE DECLARATION TWO DAYS AGO.

THIS DOCUMENT SHOULD GIVE PEOPLE, OUR PEOPLES' PEACE OF MIND. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO THE STABILITY AND PROGRESS OF ASIA.

THE SOUTH CHINA SEA IS A MAIN ARTERY OF REGIONAL AND GLOBAL TRADE. THE WORLD PRESS AND STRATEGIC THINK TANKS HAVE CALLED IT A MAJOR FLASHPOINT IN ASIA. IN FACT, PRESIDENT TRAN TOLD ME THAT WHEN HE WENT TO VISIT FRANCE, THE PRESIDENT OF FRANCE WAS ASKING HIM ABOUT THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. WHEN HE TALKED TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA, THE PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA WOULD ASKED HIM ABOUT THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. THE WORLD HAS BEEN VERY CONCERNED WITH THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. BUT WITH THE ASEAN-CHINA DECLARATION, THIS SHOULD NO LONGER BE SO. NOW, THE SOUTH CHINA SEA HAS BECOME INSTEAD AN AVENUE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY.

UNDER THE DECLARATION, ALL CLAIMANTS COMMIT TO RESOLVE THEIR TERRITORIAL AND JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES THROUGH PEACEFUL MEANS WITHOUT RESORTING TO THE THREAT OR USE OF FORCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RECOGNIZED PRINCIPLES OF INTERNATIONAL LAW INCLUDING THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA.

I'M GRATIFIED TO NOTE THAT THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE DECLARATION - THE PRINCIPLE OF NO NEW OCCUPATION - HAS GAINED ACCEPTANCE FROM ALL THE PARTIES.

THE CLAIMANTS HAVE ALSO AGREED TO HOLD DIALOGUES AND EXCHANGES OF VIEWS AMONG THEIR DEFENSE AND MILITARY OFFICIALS. THEY WILL ALSO STEP UP COORDINATIVE ACTIVITIES TO COMBAT TRANSNATIONAL CRIME AND TERRORISM.

I ASKED PRESIDENT TRAN DUC LUONG TO CONSIDER ACCEDING TO THE AGREEMENT ON INFORMATION EXCHANGE AND ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNICATION PROCEDURES - A MODEL TOOL FOR TRANSNATIONAL COOPERATION IN OUR COMMON FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM. THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM IS CONSIDERING MY PROPOSAL SYMPHATETICALLY AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO VIETNAM'S EARLY ACCESSION ON ANOTHER OCCASION.

THIS LEADERS' AGREEMENT RETAINS ITS SIGNIFICANT AT A TIME WHEN THE WORLD IS IN A QUANDARY OVER THE UNCERTAINTY AND INSTABILITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE RECENT TERRORIST ATTACKS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.

THE BOMB EXPLOSIONS APPEAR TO BE PART OF A NEW GLOBAL PATTERN OF ATTACKS WHICH MUST BE STOPPED. WE MUST ALSO CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMON RESOLVE TO FIGHT TERRORISM UNTIL IT IS DEFEATED.

THE PATTERN OF TERRORIST ATTACKS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA MUST BE CHECKED. TENSIONS ARISING FROM THE MIDDLE EAST AGGRAVATE THE SITUATION IN OUR SIDE OF THE WORLD. IN THE PHILIPPINES, THE BATTLE IS SWITCHING FROM A SUCCESSFUL MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST THE ABU SAYYAF, TO AN INTELLIGENCE MANHUNT COVERING A WIDER SWATH OF SUSPECTS MOVING TRANSNATIONALLY. INTERNAL AND REGIONAL FOCUS IS NOW REQUIRED AND WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS ON THIS. ONCE AGAIN, A BLACK CLOUD SEEMINGLY ENVELOPES THE WORLD ECONOMY BECAUSE GLOBAL SECURITY IS CURRENTLY BEING THREATENED. AND THE FACT THAT THE WORLD OPINION IS DIVIDED OVER THE MIDDLE EAST SITUATION COMPOUNDS THE UNCERTAINTY AND UNEASINESS WHICH, IN TURN, FUELS THE UNCERTAINTY AND UNEASINESS IN THE WORLD ECONOMY.

THAT'S WHY AS STEWARD OF MY NATION'S ECONOMY, I WENT TO APEC, I WENT TO ASEAN, AND NOW I'M HERE IN VIETNAM -- ALL OF THESE TRIPS WITH A MISSION TO CREATE JOBS IN THE PHILIPPINES AND TO BUILD ON THE REGIONAL AND GLOBAL COOPERATION IN THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM. ONLY BY WORKING TOGETHER CAN WE STAMP OUT THE EVIL OF TERRORISM AND THE SCOURGE OF POVERTY.

AFTER SEPTEMBER 11 LAST YEAR, THE PACIFIC ECONOMIES CRAFTED AN INITIAL RESPONSE ENCOMPASSING FINANCIAL MONITORING, AVIATION SECURITY, ENERGY SECURITY AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT.

OUR COLLECTIVE ACTIONS HAVE CONSTRAINED TERRORISTS OPERATIONS, BUT BY HOW MUCH AND WHERE, WE DON'T KNOW. BUT IT IS VERY CLEAR WE HAVE TO EXPAND DETERRENT MEASURES TO INCLUDE PORT SECURITY, TRAVEL DOCUMENTS, AIR CARGO SECURITY AND OTHERS.

WE SUPPORT MEASURES TO SECURE TRADE AND MOVEMENT OF GOODS FROM PORT OF ORIGIN TO PORT OF DESTINATION IN THE SAME MANNER THAT WE SUPPORT MEASURES THAT WILL DETER MOVEMENT OF TERRORISTS ACROSS BORDERS.

WE SUPPORT THE PRINCIPLE OF SECURE TRADE. SINCE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, HOWEVER, CANNOT AS YET PAY THE COST OF ALL THE DETAILED COMPONENT OF SECURE TRADE, WE HAVE PROPOSED, AND MANY DEVELOPED COUNTRIES HAVE AGREED THAT CAPACITY BUILDING IN TERMS OF TRAINING AND ACQUISITION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY BE EXTENDED TO DEVELOPING ECONOMIES TO ENABLE US TO COMPLY WITH RIGID TIMETABLES AND STANDARDS.

WE MUST STRENGTHEN OUR COOPERATION IN THE GLOBAL FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM. FROM AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS THE BEST COMMON RESPONSE TO THE THREAT CURRENTLY BEING POSED TO GLOBAL SECURITY AND PROSPERITY.

BUT JUST AS WE ARE TAKING SECURITY MEASURES TO PREVENT TERRORIST ACTS, WE SHOULD ALSO ADDRESS THE POVERTY AND HOPELESSNESS THAT PROVIDES RECRUITS FOR TERRORISM.

THE PHILIPPINES HAS REPEATEDLY, THEREFORE, CALLED FOR A TRULY DEVELOPMENTAL ROUND OF GLOBALIZATION TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD AND BRING RELIEF TO BELEAGUERED ECONOMIES. THE GAP BETWEEN THE DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING ECONOMIES HAS NOT REALLY NARROWED. AND EVEN WITHIN OUR OWN DEVELOPING ECONOMY, WE HAVE TO BE CONSTANTLY MINDFUL OF THE EFFECTS OF EACH STEP WE TAKE ON SMALL COMMUNITIES AND SMALL ENTERPRISES.

JUST AS WE SEARCH OUT AND DESTROY TERRORISM, WE MUST SEARCH OUT AND DESTROY THE TERROR OF POVERTY. THERE IS EVIL IN BEING HUNGRY JUST AS THERE IS EVIL IN BEING A DESTRUCTIVE TERRORISTS. WE MUST WORK TOGETHER AS A FAMILY OF NATIONS TO ALLEVIATE BOTH.

WHETHER IT'S THE DEFENSE OF THE NATION'S SOVEREIGNTY OR FIGHTING GLOBAL TERRORISM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT THE ECONOMY AND IMPROVING THE LIVES OF OUR CITIZENS.

I NOW WELCOME YOUR QUESTIONS.

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