- Your Royal Highness, Excellencies, ASEAN Foreign Ministers
- Excellency Foreign Minister of Papua New Guinea
- Excellency Foreign Minister of Timor-Lester
- Distinguished Delegates, National and International Guests
- Ladies and Gentlemen,
First of all, on behalf of the Royal Government and People of Cambodia, I would like to extend my warmest welcome to the Distinguished ASEAN Foreign Ministers, ASEAN Secretary General, ASEAN Delegates and honored guests that have come to attend this 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and other related meetings. As the Chair of ASEAN in 2012, Cambodia is honored to host this important meeting as, in one hand, it coincides with the celebration of the 45thAnniversary of ASEAN, on the other hand, it is convened amidst ASEAN’s ongoing efforts toward building the ASEAN Community by 2015.
After 45 years, ASEAN today has become a closely-integrated political and economic entity, an influential player in Asia and an indispensable strategic partner of major countries and organizations in the world. Cambodia is certainly proud ofhaving made positive contribution to ASEAN according to its capacity and ability in bringing about such progress since it became a full member of ASEAN in 1999.
Indeed, the ASEAN achievements recorded to date are enormous and of great significance. Those achievements underline the strong commitment and political will of ASEAN to continue working closely together in the ASEAN spirit of unity and solidarity, friendship and cooperation. This ASEAN spirit symbolizes the theme for this year under Cambodia’s Chairman of ASEAN, “ASEAN: One Community, One Destiny,” to reaffirm ASEAN’s undivided attention and political commitment to work, both collectively and individually, toward the successful realization of the ASEAN Community by 2015 and beyondas a cohesive family, living in political, security, economic and socio-cultural harmony, and is rules-based, peaceful and economically strong.
However, despite the achievements, ASEAN still continues to face challenges both globally and regionally such as the fragility of the economic recovery of developed countries, coupled with prolonged severe debt crisis in Europe, the ongoing social and political turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa, high oil prices, food and energy security, climate change, natural disasters, terrorism and trans-national crime, so on and so forth. All these still pose a great threat to the sustainability of socio-economic development of ASEAN achieved over the last four decades and the success of our effort towards realizing a full ASEAN Community in 2015.
Within the region, although the development gap among ASEAN members has been noticeably narrowed, it is still huge. This requires us to double our efforts to promote further growth and improve equitable distribution of the fruits of growth at both national and regional among member countries. Indeed, narrowing such development gaps is not only a pre-condition for ensuring ASEAN competitiveness and reducing poverty of our people but also for helping ASEAN achieve real regional integration and promoting its centrality in broader regional and world affairs.
With effort to make more positive contribution to the goal of ASEAN community and overcomethe above mentioned challenges, we firmly believe thatthe 20th ASEAN Summit, especially the Phnom Penh Agendaadopted by ASEAN Leaders during the 20th ASEAN Summit, have provided an important guidance and strong impetus for accelerating the ASEAN integration process while strengthening external relations and ensuring the ASEAN centrality in the evolving regional architecture.
Your Royal Highness, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
ASEAN Foreign Ministers have a crucial coordinating role to play in ASEAN community building, especially in addressing issues relating to political-security cooperation and external relations. In this spirit,I would like to invite the attention of our Foreign Ministers to the following priorities:
First, realising the ASEAN Community by 2015 is the top priority for ASEAN. We should set forth and carry out measures to speed up the implementation of the Roadmap for the ASEAN Community and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan II (2009-2015), including timely implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity. A comprehensive Mid-Term Review of the IAI Work Plan II is necessary in order to stock-take the implementation of the IAI Work Plan II and set out concrete and practical measures to expedite its objectives and chart it future direction including enhancing the implementation of the priority projects which are beneficial for the CLMV countries, the new members of ASEAN. I hope that Foreign Ministers and the ASEAN Secretary General will pay high attention onthese important tasks in order to achieve real regional integration and promote its competitiveness and centrality in broader regional and world affairs.
Second, we should continue with our efforts in translating the ASEAN Charter into reality, especially completing related legal documents, improving and enhancing the effectiveness of ASEAN organizational structure and operational methods including dispute settlement mechanisms. I very much appreciate that the Rules for Reference of Non-Compliance to the ASEAN Summit was signed during the 20th ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh. This indeedhas contributed to upholding the “culture of compliance” to ensure the effective realisation of ASEAN agreements.
Third, maintaining regional peace and security is indispensible for ASEAN prosperity and inclusive growth in the entire ASEAN region. ASEAN should further demonstrate its ability and role as a driving force for the promotion of dialogue and cooperation on the political and security issues for the cause of peace, stability and prosperity in the region. ASEAN should continue to intensify all efforts in implementing the priority areas under the Blueprint on the ASEAN Political and Security Community. In this connection, ASEAN should promote the effective functioning of existing instruments and mechanisms to ensure regional peace and security such as the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ADMM-Plus and the ASEAN Convention on Counter Terrorism as these are becoming more useful instruments to ensure regional security.Indeed, the accession to the TAC by eighteen non-ASEAN Member States, plus the EU and the UK which will be acceded this year, will further reinforce the importance of the TAC and all principles enshrined therein. Moreover, we should give emphasis to the implementation of the DOC, including the eventual conclusion of "Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea". In addition, we need to ensure the official launching of ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (AIPR), and the conclusion of ASEAN Human Rights Declaration at the 21st ASEAN Summit in order to promote peace and reconciliation and human rights protection in the region.
Fourth, we should also continue to promote and facilitate the deeper engagement in and more constructive contributions of ASEAN dialogue partners to addressing issues related to regional peace and security. Special attention also should be paid to carrying out measures aimed at promoting mutual understanding and trust, shaping and sharing common norms and codes of conduct governing relations among nations, strengthening cooperation in dealing with non-traditional security challenges such as terrorism, transnational crime, natural disaster, climate change, maritime safety and security etc.
Fifth, maintain ASEAN centrality in the evolving regional architectures in the region. We should continue improving the quality and effectiveness of cooperation with our partners through the ASEAN+1 frameworks based on concrete strategies and plans of action. We should also be more proactive in recommending and undertaking measures to enhance the operational efficiency of ASEAN-led wider regional cooperation frameworks such as ASEAN+3, East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and ADMM Plus. The guiding principle throughout this process is to support the goal of building the ASEAN Community and ensuring the central role of ASEAN.
Sixth, ASEAN Foreign Ministers should intensify discussions and effective cooperation with sectoral ministers and relevant partners in addressing current global challenges, especially the financial and economic crisis; climate change, including natural disaster management, pandemics; and depletion of natural resources. In this connection, ASEAN should undertake concrete measures to enhance intra-regional cooperation, at the same time, to foster cooperation within wider region frameworks and actively contribute to the joint efforts of the international community. At the same time, we should be well aware that cooperation at government level alone is not sufficient in order to realize theASEAN Community by 2015. This requires a broader participation of relevant stakeholders at all levels, particularly the support and participation of ASEAN people as a whole.
Your Royal Highness, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen!
It has been more than 10 years since Cambodia became a full member of ASEAN. We are proud that during this period Cambodia was able to make considerable progress. ASEAN membership has allowed Cambodia to strengthen integration with the region and the international community. At the same time, Cambodia has been strictly fulfilling her role in ASEAN to build a peaceful, prosperous and harmonious regional community, as well as transform ASEAN into a model of regional cooperation with global importance. As the Chair of ASEAN in 2012, Cambodia will make utmost effort within its capacity to closely cooperate with other member countries for achieving various priorities of ASEAN toward the building of"ASEAN: One Community, One Destiny”.
Finally, I wish Your Royal Highness, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen success in your deliberation for the common interest of establishing the ASEAN community. Once again, allow me to extend to a very warm welcome to all of you and wish you a pleasant and comfortable stay in Cambodia and hope that you will carry back with you lasting memories of the beauty, culture and civilization of Cambodia when you return to your countries.
I am honored to declare opening of the 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting from now on.
Thank you for your attentions!