ASEAN Celebrates 43rd Anniversary
ASEAN Secretariat, 9 August 2010
ASEAN’s 43rd Anniversary was celebrated over the weekend with receptions in the Member States and the annual high-level ASEAN Lecture held in Viet Nam.
At the ASEAN Secretariat, the occasion was marked on Monday, 9 August, by the traditional ASEAN flag hoisting ceremony. The ASEAN anthem, “The ASEAN Way”, was sung by the staff members of the Secretariat. This was then followed by a tree planting ceremony. The occasion was graced by H.E. Dr R.M. Marty M Natalegawa, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.
The 8 of August is observed as ASEAN Day, commemorating the day that the Founding Fathers of ASEAN signed the ASEAN Declaration in Bangkok in 1967, which later set in motion the establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015. As this year’s ASEAN Day fell on a Sunday, the celebrations at the Secretariat was organised for Monday.
The theme of this year’s ASEAN Day is “Bridging Markets, Connecting Peoples”, a testimony to ASEAN efforts in integrating the markets in the East Asia region through free trade arrangements in the beginning of 2010 and continuing efforts to build an ASEAN Community by 2015.
In his opening remarks, the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Surin Pitsuwan, said that the efforts towards building an ASEAN Community would depend on its people.
“The people need to be made aware of the benefits of ASEAN. They must be inspired by the vision of ASEAN and convinced that the future of their children is very much dependent on the realisation of that vision,” said Dr Surin.
“But more importantly, the people must be made to have a sense of ownership of ASEAN and be made aware of what they can do for ASEAN in return. We will have to make them know that they are, in fact, ASEAN – we are, in fact, ASEAN – and we are all here to celebrate our birthday,” he said.
Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, and Mr Vu Dang Dung, Viet Nam’s Permanent Representative to ASEAN and representing the ASEAN Chair, delivered congratulatory remarks. Mr Julian Wilson, Ambassador/Head of Delegation of the European Union to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam, representing ASEAN Dialogue Partners; and Mr Philippe Zeller, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Indonesia and Timor-Leste, representing non-ASEAN Dialogue Partners, also spoke at the event.
The ceremony was witnessed by some 300 people, including members of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN; Jakarta-based Ambassadors to ASEAN; Ambassadors to Indonesia; Indonesian government officials; and representatives of international organisations, academics, think tanks, cultural centres, business community and the media. The ceremony culminated in a cultural performance by ASEAN youths.
ASEAN Day celebrations are also being organised and held by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the ASEAN Member States in their capitals to commemorate the ASEAN Day. The Indonesian Foreign Minister had hosted a reception to mark ASEAN Day on Friday, 6 August.
On 7 August, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam hosted the 8th ASEAN Lecture in Ha Noi. Held annually, the Lecture invites an eminent person from an ASEAN Member State to deliver a lecture on ASEAN. The purpose is to provide a key platform to bring wider attention to strategic issues of vital importance to ASEAN.
At the Lecture, the Prime Minister of Viet Nam, Mr Nguyen Tan Dung, delivered a keynote speech that was followed by a cultural performance and a reception.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung succeeds the following past speakers: the then President of Indonesia, H.E. Megawati Soekarnoputri in 2003; the then Prime Minister of Viet Nam, H.E. Phan Van Khai in 2004; the President of Indonesia, H.E. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2005; the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, H.E. Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2006; the Prime Minister of Singapore, H.E. Lee Hsien Loong in 2007; the then Prime Minister of Thailand, H.E. Samak Sundaravej in 2008; and the Prime Minister of Thailand, H.E. Abhisit Vejjajiva, in 2009.
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National Interest and Regional Interest is One and the Same, Says Foreign Minister
ASEAN Secretariat, 9 August 2010
ASEAN remains a priority for Indonesia, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Marty Natalegawa, said today. “National interest and regional interest is one and the same,” he said in his speech at ASEAN’s 43rd anniversary celebrations held at the ASEAN Secretariat.
In touching upon the current discussions on the regional architecture, Foreign Minister Marty said that there may be some self-doubt in terms of ASEAN’s capacity to continue to lead especially in the evolving regional architecture, but Indonesia, he said, believes that “ASEAN, when called upon can take the lead and be in the driver’s seat.”
According to the Foreign Minister, ASEAN has reasserted itself on the current discourse on the regional architecture which he described as “on-going subject matter”. ”It is not a perfect constellation and we will continue to fine-tune the modalities we have,” he said.
The 43rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings that was held in Ha Noi recently saw discussions on the evolving regional architecture taking centre stage. ASEAN Dialogue Partners had reaffirmed their unequivocal support for ASEAN Centrality. In addition, they expressed the hope that ASEAN would continue to play a central role in the emerging regional architecture.
The Foreign Minister said that over the past 43 years, ASEAN had made tremendous contribution to regional peace and security. But there remains much to accomplish from plan of actions to actual action. “Inaction is not an option,” he stressed. Foreign Minister Marty also said the region must do its utmost to improve the lives of the people of the region. “We must have an ASEAN dividend,” he said.
The Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Surin Pitsuwan, said that the Foreign Minister’s presence at the ASEAN Day celebrations was extremely significant and provides reassuring support that Indonesia gives priority to ASEAN in its foreign policy.
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At the ASEAN Lecture
ASEAN Secretariat, 9 August 2010
ASEAN has to make greater efforts to ensure its centrality in an evolving regional architecture amidst a changing regional and international landscape.
"To date, ASEAN’s role has been widely recognised, but we cannot take it for granted in the future," said H.E. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung of Viet Nam on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of ASEAN and the 15th anniversary of Viet Nam’s Membership to ASEAN.
Delivering the ASEAN Lecture in Ha Noi on 7 August, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who is the current Chair of ASEAN, said that to bring into full play its role in the region, ASEAN must enhance its unity and cohesion, accelerate regional integration, harmonise national interests with that of the region and gradually raise the quality of ASEAN’s “unity in diversity”.
"We should continue to facilitate ASEAN partners’ deeper engagement and constructive contributions in addressing issues related to regional peace, security and development on the basis of supporting the establishment of the ASEAN Community and ASEAN’s centrality," he said. ASEAN, said the Prime Minister, should build on its advantage as hub for accommodating and harmonising various interests in the region as well as connecting existing cooperation mechanisms and frameworks. To this end, ASEAN needs to improve the effectiveness and quality of cooperation with its partners within ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, the East Asia Summit (EAS) and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), he added.
The Prime Minister also said that ASEAN membership has brought important and practical interests for Viet Nam, supporting the country's efforts for national security and development. "As an active, proactive and responsible member of the ASEAN family, Viet Nam will make every effort to contribute to the successful building of the ASEAN Community by 2015, and for this year is to fulfill the responsibility of the ASEAN Chairmanship under the theme 'Towards an ASEAN Community: from Vision to Action'", he stressed. Viet Nam became a full-fledged member of ASEAN on 28 July 1995.
Meanwhile, in his speech at the ASEAN Lecture ceremony, the Secretary-General of ASEAN said that Viet Nam has contributed much to ASEAN's impressive list of accomplishments since joining ASEAN. "Soon after Viet Nam joined ASEAN, it played its part in making the dreams of the Founding Fathers of ASEAN come true by actively supporting the admission of the rest of the newer ASEAN Member States: Lao PDR, Myanmar and Cambodia," said Dr Surin Pitsuwan.
Viet Nam’s exemplary leadership, Dr Surin said, continues today. "With 'Towards the ASEAN Community: From Vision to Action' as the theme of its Chairmanship, Viet Nam has made it clear that ASEAN is one of the main focuses of Viet Nam’s foreign policy. Even before assuming the Chairmanship, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung pledged to spare no effort in terms of national commitment and resources in taking on Viet Nam’s role as Chair. Elevating ASEAN’s profile and raising its voice and prestige in the international arena is high on Viet Nam’s agenda," he said.
According to Dr Surin, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has certainly raised the profile of ASEAN during the G-20 Summit in Toronto in late June. "And indeed Viet Nam raised the recognition and confidence in ASEAN during the recent 43rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and Related Meetings held right here in Ha Noi. The AMM provided the backdrop for ASEAN’s friends and partners to reaffirm their unequivocal support for ASEAN Centrality. It was very clear that they wanted to see ASEAN continue to play a central role in the emerging regional architecture".
However, he cautioned that there is yet much to be done in the member states to make ASEAN better known to our citizens. "After all, the efforts towards building an ASEAN Community would depend on our people. They must be made aware of the potential and true benefits of ASEAN. They must be inspired by the vision of ASEAN and convinced that the future of their children is very much dependent on the realisation of that grand vision."
But more importantly, said Dr Surin, the people of ASEAN must be made to have a sense of ownership of ASEAN and recognise what they can contribute to ASEAN in return.
"All of us must dream the Dream of our Founding Fathers. All of us must endeavour to make that Dream a reality" he urged.
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