Cannes, France, 4 November 2011
ASEAN Team at G20 Summit in Cannes, France.
“Nouveau Monde, Nouvelles Idees” (New World, New Ideas) is the theme this year.
While the annual G20 Summit is in full swing, preoccupied with, and overwhelmed by the Greek and Eurozone debt crisis, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, speaking on behalf of ASEAN, reminds the world most powerful leaders that “ASEAN has been a successful group of countries and will cooperate with the global community to address global challenges.”
President SBY made use of his platform both as a member of the G20 and as Chair of ASEAN to encourage the global community represented by the heads of State and Governments in Cannes to “look at other problems and challenges aside from the Greek and Euro crisis and to implement all previous decisions and agreements we have made since the first G20 Summit.”
The Chair of ASEAN pointed at the ASEAN’s and ASEAN Plus Three Food Security arrangements as examples of regional cooperation on a critical challenge that is being felt worldwide.
President Yudhoyono also appealed to the G20 Member States that they should join with the ASEAN Member States in development of agriculture, infrastructure, trade and investment. “The world population has just reached 7 billion. Demand for food will increase dramatically. Food insecurity and agricultural failures will lead to social tension and political strife. That is why ASEAN and our Plus Three Partners in East Asia are working closely on an Emergency Rice Reserve for our region.”
The Chair of ASEAN also called for closer cooperation among regional players like ASEAN, East Asia and the European Union to spearhead “a policy coordination at the global level in agricultural investment, research and innovation, price stabilization and a mechanism that would guarantee fair and decent income for our poor farmers.” ASEAN and East Asia cooperation has been described by President Yudhoyono as “a model of regional cooperation.”
ASEAN is also fortunate at the G20 Summit this year in Cannes to have the participation of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore in his capacity as the Chair of the Global Governance Group.
It is interesting to point out that 10 participants at the G20 here will attend the ASEAN, EAS and other related Summits in Bali between 17-19 November. “This reflects the rising importance of ASEAN which is recognized by the major players on the global stage,” commented Dr Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN, who has been attending the G20 Summits since early 2009 in London, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Seoul.
