Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo HUN SEN, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, at the Opening of the45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

• 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 45^thAnniversary 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 20^th 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 21^st 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 45^th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting from now on.

Thank you for your attentions!

Welcoming Remarks By Deputy Prime Minister HOR Namhong Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation At the Opening of the 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

- Respected Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia,

- Distinguished Colleagues, ASEAN Foreign Ministers,

- Excellencies Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Papua New Guinea and Timor-Lesté, guests of ASEAN Chair,

- His Excellency Secretary-General of ASEAN

- Distinguished Delegates,

- Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

- Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

1.     First of all, I wish to express my profound gratitude to Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen for the great honour of his esteemed presence to grace the 45^th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Your presence reflects high consideration and importance of this meeting, as well as encourages the meeting’s success and fruitful outcome.

2.     I would also like to warmly welcome all distinguished colleagues, ASEAN Foreign Ministers and Ministers of Foreign Affairs from Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste, and all delegates for your participation in the 45^th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, as well as other forthcoming related meetings, in Phnom Penh today.

3.     Today’s Meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers is very significant as it coincides with the celebration of the 45^thfounding anniversary of ASEAN, this year. It bears noting, on this occasion, that ASEAN has achieved many important milestones in the past 45 years, since its establishment in 1967.

4.     After successfully uniting all Southeast Asian Nations under a single umbrella, with the inclusion of Cambodia in 1999, ASEAN has been making significant gains in deepening its integration.

5.     The Declaration of Bali Concord II of ASEAN which was signed by ASEAN Leaders in 2003, officially transformed ASEAN from an Association into a Community. The entry into force of the ASEAN Charter on 15 December 2008 has turned ASEAN into a legal body and raised its profile and central role as a major regional organization in the global community of nations.

6.     ASEAN, guided by the ASEAN Charter, the Blue Prints of the three ASEAN Community Councils, namely ASEAN Political-Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-cultural Community, as well as other key documents, has been making steady progress in consolidating solidarity and unity within ASEAN and in deepening cooperation with all our Dialogue Partners, in order to build an economically  sound  and socially vibrant ASEAN Community, as well as contributing to peace and prosperity in the region. 

7.   ASEAN must continue its concerted efforts to maintain its centrality in many regional architectures initiated by ASEAN, such as ASEAN Plus One, ASEAN Plus Three, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the East Asia Summit (EAS), and the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus, in order to ensure the important role of ASEAN and to advance its interests.

8.     During the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on July 12, we will have two new parties, the EU and the UK, signing the accession instruments to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) of ASEAN. Now, we are having all the 5 super powers, the EU and 14 other countries as parties to the TAC.  This is also a very important contribution to peace and security in our region.

9.     Our main task at the moment is to carry out all the decisions of our ASEAN Leaders at the 20^th ASEAN Summit in April of this year, particularly on the following documents:

1) The Phnom Penh Agenda, which sets concrete priority actions for the remaining 3 years (2012-2015), in particular ASEAN integration and ASEAN connectivity, in order to realize ASEAN Community by 2015, and intensifies efforts to implement priority areas in political and security, economic and socio-cultural sectors of the three ASEAN Councils. The Phnom Penh Agenda also called for the realization of the ASEAN Economic Community as a single market and production base, by 2015.

2) We must also realize ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Drug-Free ASEAN 2015, which is to promote greater cooperation within ASEAN to eliminate all threats and the impacts of drugs on security, transnational crimes, and socio-economy of ASEAN communities, by 2015.

10. I am pleased to note that during our 45^th AMM meeting we would adopt the draft ASEAN Human Rights Declaration(AHRD), which has been finalized by the members of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). The ASEAN Human Rights Declaration will then submit to the ASEAN Leaders for signing during the 21^st ASEAN Summit in November of this year. This is another step forward in ASEAN’s effort to promote and protect human rights in the region.

11. Finally, I wish to respectfully invite Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen to grace the 45th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and related meetings with his important words of valuable guidance and inspiration for the successful advancement of the ASEAN Community building. 

Thank you

19th Meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)

The Kingdom of Cambodia will host the Nineteenth Meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (19th ARF) in Phnom Penh on 12 July 2012. The Meeting will chaired by H.E. Mr. HOR Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Chair of ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting. The Meeting will be attended by Foreign Ministers and Representative of all the 27 ARF Participants and the Secretary-General of ASEAN. 

 
The ARF is the main regional forum in which the Ministers is expected to conduct  open and frank discussion on regional and international security issues and cooperation to promote peace, security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. The Meeting is also expected to review the implementation of the Hanoi Plan of Action to Implement the ARF Vision Statement 2020 and all other current work plans in a consistent and comprehensive manner in order to support development of the ARF from the phase of confidence building to preventive diplomacy.

The Ministers are also expected to adopt the ARF Work Plan on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, which provides sets of measures to promote the three central pillars of the global non-proliferation regime: preventing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), advancing global disarmament efforts, and promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

The Ministers will also touch on ways and means of how ARF participants can better address natural disaster issues a, and are expected to adopt the new Implementation Annex of the ARF Work Plan on Disaster Relief. In this connection, the Ministers are expected to call for further commitments to contribute to the AHA Centre. 

The Ministers will also approve the ARF DiREx to be co-hosted by Thailand and the Republic of Korea in the inter-sessional year 2012-2013.

H.E. Mr. HOR Namhong Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Cambodia, in his capacity as the Chair of the ARF, will issue the ARF Chairman’s Statement on the outcomes of the 19th ARF. /ends

ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference Plus One (PMC +1) with Australia, Canada, China, EU, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States

ASEAN is holding the Post Ministerial Conference Plus One (PMC + 1) Sessions with ten individual Dialogue Partners namely Australia, Canada, China, EU, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russian Federation and the United States of America on Wednesday 11 June 2012 at the Peace Palace, Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia. 

 
The event will be held in parallel with two Dialogue Partners in one session. The first session will be PMC + 1 with Australia and PMC + 1 with Japan. The second session will be PMC + 1 with China and PMC + 1 with New Zealand. The third session will be PMC + 1 with Canada and PMC + 1 with India.  The fourth session will be PMC + 1 with EU and PMC + 1 with Russia; and the fifth session will be PMC + 1 with ROK and PMC + 1 with the US. Each PMC + 1 will be co-chaired by the Foreign Minister ASEAN Country Coordinator for Dialogue Relationship and the Foreign Minister of the Dialogue Partner concerned.
 

The Ministers will exchange views on regional and international issues with their counterparts from the Dialogue Partners. They will also review the progress of  dialogue cooperation, especially on the progress of implementation of plan of actions with individual Dialogue Partners, in all areas of cooperation, and the way forward to further deepen their dialogue relationship.

H.E. Mr. HOR Namhong Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Cambodia, in his capacity as the Chair of ASEAN, will issue a Chairman’s Statement on the outcomes of all the PMC + 1 with Dialogue Partners at the end of all the sessions. /ends

13th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

The 13th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting is expected to discuss a number of key issues with the view to further consolidate and strengthen ASEAN Plus Three cooperation.   

 
The 13th APT Foreign Ministers Meeting will be held from 1400 hrs to 1530hrs on 10 July 2012 at the Champa Room, 3rd Floor, Peace Palace, Phnom Penh. The Ministers Meeting will be preceded by the APT Senior Officials Meeting in the morning of 10 July 2012. 

 
The APT Foreign Ministers is expected to discuss regional and international issues of common concern and interest. In addition, the Ministers will review APT cooperation over the past one year and discuss the future direction of the collaboration. 

 
The Ministers is also expected to discuss APT Partnership on Connectivity, an ASEAN effort to accelerate economic growth towards greater connectivity and integration in the region.

 
Since 2012 is the 15th anniversary of APT cooperation, the Ministers is expected to discuss the preparations for the APT Commemorative Summit, which will be held on 19 November in Phnom Penh. 

…/ends

The Forty-fifth ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

The 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM), to take place on Monday, 9 July 2012, at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, and the series of meetings around it, will see several major instruments on peace and security being signed with the region’s Dialogue Partners and the five permanent members of the United  Nations Security Council (UNSC) . Apart from the AMM, the Post-Ministerial Conferences/19th ASEAN Regional Forum and the 2nd East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers Meeting would also be held.
 
Top on the list are the instruments for the accession of the European Union to one of the region’s foremost instruments on peace and security, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. As a testament of the importance of the TAC governing inter-state relations in the region, the United Kingdom, which is a non-Dialogue Partner of ASEAN would also be acceding to the TAC.
 
Other legal instruments being signed during the series of meetings include Protocol of the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ Treaty) by China, the French Republic, Russia, the UK and the US. Through this Protocol, these five Nuclear Weapon States, undertake to respect the Treaty, and not to contribute to any act which constitutes a violation of the Treaty or its Protocol.   The SEANWFZ Treaty is an important legal instrument in ASEAN efforts to contribute towards a nuclear free region and the signing of the Protocol to the SEANWFZ Treaty reaffirms the support and recognition of the Treaty by the NWS.

The discussions at the AMM are expected to focus on the issues to be followed-up from the 20th ASEAN Summit. The Meeting would also prepare for the series of meetings that the ASEAN Foreign Ministers would be having with ASEAN Dialogue Partners in the area of development cooperation and enhancing relations. 
 
The Ministers would also be having a retreat session during the AMM in which they will exchange views on regional and international issues. Another important issue that the Ministers will discuss is the implementation of the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
 
A Joint Communique will be adopted at the end of the Meeting.
 
The 45th AMM/PMC/19TH ARF/2ND EAS Foreign Ministers Meeting will be be officially opened by Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo HUN SEN, the Prime Minister of Cambodia on 9 July and conclude on 13th July.