Prime Minister
Your Highnesses
Excellencies
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am happy to extend a very warm welcome to you all. This is ASEAN’s 32nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting. It is the first in which all ten Southeast Asian countries are represented as full members of ASEAN. I would like to extend a very special welcome to Foreign Minister Hor Nam Hong of Cambodia.
This has been a challenging and, at times, difficult year for ASEAN. It is a matter of great personal satisfaction to me that, notwithstanding all the gloomy predictions that have been bandied about, and the real problems, ASEAN has held together and maintained our direction. We have remained true to our fundamental principles. And, most importantly, we have not backtracked from our goal of building an open and market-oriented region. Of course, there are still many uncertainties that have to be faced. It is my hope that this 32nd AMM will initiate a process of honest reappraisal so that we can continue to move forward in the ASEAN way.
I would like to thank my ASEAN colleagues for their consistent support and wise counsel throughout Singapore’s chairmanship the past year. Without their full cooperation and goodwill my task would have been much more difficult.
Without further ado, I now have the pleasure of inviting the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Goh Chok Tong, to deliver his Opening Address.
- ABOUT ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN on 7 January 1984, followed by Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999, making up what is today the ten Member States of ASEAN.Menu - WHAT WE DO
ASEAN organs always strive to achieve ASEAN’s goals and objectives, the Secretary-General of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat shall be functioned as coordinating Secretariat to help facilitate effective decision-making withing and amongst ASEAN bodies. In addition, each Member State shall appoint a Permanent Representative to liaise with Secretary-General of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat
Menu - WHO WE WORK WITH
ASEAN shall develop friendly relations and mutually beneficial dialogues, cooperation and partnerships with countries and sub-regional, regional and international organisations and institutions. This includes external partners, ASEAN entities, human rights bodies, non-ASEAN Member States Ambassadors to ASEAN, ASEAN committees in third countries and international organisations, as well as international / regional organisations.
Menu - OUR COMMUNITIES
The rodmap for an ASEAN Community (2009-2015) was declared by the leaders in 2009. The ASEAN Community, anchored on three community pillars: Political-Security Community, Economic Community, Socio-Cultural Community was launched in 2015. The ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together was introduced in 2015 as a Post-2015 Vision. It comprises the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, the ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint 2025, the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025 and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025
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