Statement of the President at the ASEAN-India Summit

(Kuala Lumpur Convention Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 13, 2005)

I take this opportunity to condemn and deplore the series of terrorist bombings in New Delhi last 29 October resulting in 62 dead and 210 injured. The attacks are horrifying reminders that the fight against terrorism is far from over and we need a broader front for regional security.

We adopted in October 2003 in Bali the ASEAN-India Joint Declaration for Cooperation to Combat Terrorism. To implement the Declaration, the first ASEAN SOMTC+India Consultation was convened last June in Siem Reap, during which our officials discussed the identification of nodal agencies, workshops on terrorism, transnational crime and terrorist financing, and training program. From these modest beginnings, we should be able to draw up a practical coordinated strategy to combat terrorism through greater law enforcement, legal cooperation, and intelligence exchange.

Interfaith dialogue must pace security cooperation. To illustrate, the Philippines’ peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is perhaps the only one in the world that includes a component on counter-terrorism cooperation. I believe Southeast Asia and India have an important role to play in promoting interfaith dialogue.

Let me now turn to another topic of mutual interest to ASEAN and India-- maritime security. Since the mid-1990’s, the world’s oceans began to show an increase in piracy and armed robbery attacks. Most of these attacks occurred in the South China Sea, the Malacca Straits, and the Andaman.

There is a need for a network of cooperation on information exchange, capacity-building efforts among various coast guards especially in the areas of education and training, mutual assistance in investigation, joint exercise programs, and even coordinated or combined patrol operations.

The Philippines is a signatory to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Anti-Piracy and hopes that with the establishment of the International Sharing Center, regional anti-piracy cooperation will be given a major boost and be more institutionalized.

Moreover, a component in the action plan of the ASEAN Security Community has been dedicated to maritime security, safety, and environment protection. We call on India to consider actively cooperating with ASEAN in this regard.

We all know that India, together with China, have tremendous energy requirements for fuelling their equally tremendous growth. It is therefore important that India work with its Asian neighbors in addressing energy security. We should enlarge the scope of investments in relevant energy infrastructure and consolidate collaboration in new and renewable energy, conservation and alternative fuels.

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