Keynote
Speech
By H.E. Dr.
Surakiart Sathirathai,
Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Thailand
At the Opening
Ceremony of
ACD High Level
Seminar on Asia Cooperation
and Development
21 June 2004,
Qingdao,
China
………………………………………..
Mr. Long Yongtu, Secretary-General
of Boao Forum for Asia,
Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is an honour for me to be invited to address this
distinguished gathering in Qingdao. I wish to commend
the Boao Forum for Asia,
the Network of East Asia Think-Tank, and the Saranrom Institute
for Foreign Affairs of Thailand for their initiative in
co-organizing the ACD High Level Seminar on Asia Cooperation
and Development. This Seminar marks the first ever ACD academic
gathering. The meeting of minds among experts and academics
from all corners of Asia
will provide valuable inputs to the Third ACD Ministerial
Meeting. Your contribution will serve as a genesis for pragmatic
ideas and bold initiatives in moving Asia-wide cooperation
forward for mutual prosperity.
Globalization, as
we know it, has its own misgivings. Globalization, as we
know it, brings benefits to some and sufferings to others.
Globalization, as we know it, is inevitable on one hand
but must be manageable on the other. All nations, big or
small, must learn and has learnt to live with it, some with
success, many without. We can see that happening in Asia.
At the same time globalization brings with it the world
of increased interdependence. That is why a success now
in one country could be a success tomorrow in another. Or
vice versa. A failure now in one could also breed
a failure in another tomorrow. The Asian financial crisis
of 1997 was the example in point. That is why there is no
other choice for Asian countries but to bind together, making
sure that the misgivings of globalization can be managed,
making sure that it brings more benefits than sufferings,
and making sure that the effects of globalization that are
passed on from one country to another are that of a success
rather than that of a failure. That is the raison d’etre
why we must have the Asia Cooperation Dialogue, the ACD.
Asia is a continent of diversity. We have abundance of resources. We have a long history of civilizations. We have rich cultures and traditions. Diversity can set countries, communities
and peoples apart.
Diversity can also bring us together. Our differences
can be overcome and turned into our strengths and advantages
for our competitiveness. The vision of a new Asia is now in its making. Asia’s
experience in learning to live and tolerate differences,
and in building partnership from diversity has laid a strong
foundation for an Asian community. I believe that Asia
can provide a kind of moral leadership in building a sense
of global community amidst the globalized world.
Let us start with Asia that
puts aside conflicts and works on engaging in constructive
dialogue and constructive cooperation and partnership. Let
us start with Asia that
learns to turn diversity into strength. And let us start
with Asia that learns to leave the bitter part of history behind
and live with the promised prosperous future. Those were
my Prime Minister’s aspirations, when he initiated the ACD
in 2002.
At his initiative, Asia Cooperation Dialogue or ACD was established with
the strong support of other 17 Asian countries in June 2002.
Now comprising 22 countries, the
ACD is making progress in tapping into the inherent strengths of Asian countries
for mutual prosperity and sustainable development. Cooperation
takes the form of annual ministerial dialogues and joint
projects in 18 areas of functional cooperation. To encourage
cooperation among the diverse membership, a project does
not need to have the participation of the majority, but
may be launched by a few member countries, with others joining
in when ready.
Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
Global developments certainly give rise to new challenges
which can hinder our progress in promoting prosperity.
It is timely that the High-Level Seminar will be deliberating
on key challenges to Asia’s
competitiveness. I wish to share some ideas on the core
elements that underpin the pace and direction of realizing
Asia’s strength and potentials.
First, on our competitiveness. One key factor
for the enhancement of Asia’s
competitiveness is the expansion of trade among and within
Asian sub-regions through bilateral and regional trading
arrangements which serve to capitalize on the diverse resources
of the region. The signing of the frameworks for comprehensive
economic partnership between ASEAN and China,
ASEAN and Japan,
as well as ASEAN-India is a testimony to the gradual pace
of economic integration in Asia. Such arrangements do not necessarily detract but can
indeed add to the WTO process. ICT will also play an important
role in building our competitiveness. Asia
should concentrate on how ICT can expand trade and reduce
poverty in the region.
Second, on our people. For Asia
to be dynamic and vibrant, we must go beyond the economic
factors. Our large population of various skill, talent,
races, and creativity is our most precious resource. Human
resource development and capacity-building are imperative
in making our region more competitive.
Last week, I attended UNCTAD Eleven in Brazil where we underlined the significance
of South-South cooperation in enhancing capacity-building.
On Thailand’s part,
we are not only focusing on promoting our own human resource
development, but we are working with our neighbours through
strengthening networking of HRD cooperation. This is evident
in the work of the Mekong Institute located in Thailand which
has been elevated to a regional training center. The Institute
in cooperation with developed partners provides training
and capacity-building programmes to countries in the Mekong
sub-region. The International Institute on Trade and Development
which was created in Bangkok two years ago in
partnership with UNCTAD is another example for HRD in areas
of trade negotiation skill for people in the region.
Third, on Asia’s
financial stability. Financial stability plays an integral
part in sustaining Asia’s
competitiveness. As prime mover on financial cooperation,
Thailand is working closely with ACD partners towards
building the region’s financial architecture to prevent
a repeat of the 1997 financial crisis and to ensure that
Asian wealth will be invested more in Asia for Asian prosperity. A key instrument is the development
of a regional bond market.
The bond market will channel our own savings to be
invested in our own region for our own sustainable development
and prosperity. This is what my Prime Minister calls the
new financial architecture of Asia.
He has explained that the development of the Asian Bond
market must involve the demand side and the supply side
of the market both of equal significance.
This initiative has gained region-wide support through
the ACD process, and has been concretized with the creation
of an Asian Bond Fund last year. We expect a second Fund
to be established in local denominated currency. ACD must
be core players on the demand side, especially on this second
Fund. Thailand has hosted
a series of meetings of experts, officials and academics
to explore means for strengthening the bond market’s demand,
supply and infrastructure dimensions. I believe that Finance
Ministries of Asian economies will have to be assertive,
outward-looking and work closely together. The stronger
financial position of Asia
will enable us to be a stronger trade and investment partner
with other regions.
Fourth, on energy security. The current energy
crisis demonstrates the vital importance of energy resources
to our well-being. We cannot afford to shy away from the
hard decisions on managing our energy resources. We need
to accept reality that we no longer live in an era of cheap
oil prices. We need to look long-term and develop our resources.
Thailand
is exploring prospects of utilizing alternative fuel. The
President of Brazil and my Prime Minister discussed the
possibility of joint research and development on the utilization
of ethanol as alternative fuel.
By seeking new fuel alternatives, we hope to reduce
the pressure on oil producers and their resources. We hope
to ensure more stability in the oil market and to better
conserve and better manage fossil fuel resources. We need
to step up cooperation to ensure security of energy supply
without further depleting our resources nor further
devastating our environment. We need to be forward-looking
and pursue joint undertakings in developing energy efficiency,
renewable energy sources, alternative fuels and energy infrastructure
networks to sustain energy security.
The Seminar offers a timely occasion to build upon
the recommendations of the two working group meetings hosted
by Bahrain
and the Philippines
on energy security. The Third ACD Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
would provide a much needed political impetus for ACD member
countries to formulate a common energy security strategy
in response to the current energy crisis. I am glad to see
the Seminar focuses on public-private partnership because
it is instrumental to the success of energy security strategy.
Fifth, on agriculture. This issue remains
central to our economies and the livelihoods of our peoples.
Asia is home to both the
major exporters and importers of agricultural products.
It is also in Asia that we find both food abundance and hunger. We need
to address this dichotomy. Moreover, we can see that agriculture is a cross-cutting issue extending
from poverty and bio-technology to food-security and international
trade. We need to address how to bring modern technology
to our farmers, how to prevent trade distortion to enhance
agricultural exports, how to prevent standards from being
used as non-tariff
barriers, and how to ensure food security. A significant
step has been made last month by the ACD Ministerial Meeting
on agriculture cooperation hosted by China.
This first ACD sectoral Ministerial Meeting laid down guidelines
for sustainable agriculture development with emphasis on
improving the farmers’ well-being.
Excellencies,
Distinguished participants, Ladies
and gentlemen,
As I said
from the beginning, the ACD is a constructive dialogue and
cooperation. To be constructive, therefore, it needs inputs
and cooperation from all, in particular, the government,
private sector, and the academic circle. Thailand as ACD
coordinator has requested member countries to designate
their academic institutions to engage with the ACD process.
Through networking and participation of the think tanks,
ACD will be able to broaden its base by covering both the
private and peoples’ sectors. These institutions would also keep ACD
in touch with reality at both the grassroots and policy-making
levels. These institutions can provide pragmatic inputs
to make ACD an effective and forward-looking regional framework.
As we look ahead to the fourth ACD Foreign Ministers’
Meeting next year, Thailand is planning
to organize a meeting of ACD think tanks. We intend to lay
the groundwork for their role in supporting the ACD and
strengthening the academic network.
Finally, I have high hopes that all of you from the
academic world of Asia share a similar vision for an Asia
community that can provide moral leadership in building
strength from diversity for a world of harmony and tolerance.
Differences in culture, religion and values should not be
allowed to become a source of friction, but should be a
basis for the combining of strengths through partnership
and multilateralism. I look to your intellectual and academic
inputs to turn this vision into reality.
I look forward to tomorrow’s briefing by
my colleague Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing to the ACD Ministers
on the fruitful results of the Seminar. Your role and contribution
in serving as the academic arm of ACD forms a key pillar
in moving Asia forward
towards mutual prosperity.
Thank you.
