Speech by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law K Shanmugam at the ASEAN Day Reception

Fellow Citizens of ASEAN,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to warmly welcome you to this celebration of ASEAN’s 45^th anniversary.

This is a significant milestone in our organisation’s history. A good moment to pause and reflect on how we are doing.

ASEAN’s origins

In 1967, against the backdrop of the Cold War, ASEAN began with the modest aim of keeping the peace in Southeast Asia.

Creating a framework for the peaceful development of the region has remained the key role of ASEAN throughout its subsequent development.

National interests and interest of the region have had to be balanced and have led to an evolution of a two-tiered structure of interests.

This is a critical factor of ASEAN’s durability.

It is worth recalling something that former Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister S. Rajaratnam said at the inaugural meeting of ASEAN 45 years ago: “It is necessary for us if we are really to be successful in giving life to ASEAN to marry national thinking with regional thinking. We must now think at two levels. We must think not only of our national interests but posit them against regional interests”.

These words are still relevant 45 years on, as ASEAN faces an ever-changing global political and economic landscape. In fact they are even more relevant now given the greater integration of the world.

This “marriage” of interests is the foundation of our organisation.

ASEAN has developed beyond all expectations since its creation primarily because of its ability to maintain this balance.

ASEAN Today

ASEAN is now central in a regional architecture that includes groupings such as ASEAN Plus Three, ASEAN Regional Forum, East Asia Summit.

ASEAN’s aims have expanded beyond economic integration to include accelerating economic growth and enhancing socio-cultural development to integrate the economies of ASEAN member states. We have proactively reduced barriers to trade and investment through initiatives such as the ASEAN Free Trade Area, 99% of tariff lines have been brought down, to close to zero.

ASEAN now has a combined market of 600 million people – the size of the European Union, a GDP of almost $1.8 trillion – the third largest in Asia (on par with India and after China and Japan).

On the socio-cultural front, ASEAN has continually promoted people-to-people linkages, greater cross-cultural understanding and the development of a stronger sense of common identity among the ASEAN peoples.

ASEAN has pursued programmes such as the recent ASEAN Drawing Contest involving youth from all Member States. Some of the drawings submitted by young Singaporeans are on display here tonight, as are some of the budding artists behind them.

These initiatives have strengthened ASEAN, enabling it to overcome many challenges — the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, the SARS epidemic and the 2004 Asian tsunami.

New Challenges

Yet inevitable there will always be new challenges. The 2008 global financial crisis has resulted in a reordering of the global landscape, which in turn presents several qualitative challenges. It remains urgent for us now, as it was then, to heed the words of Mr Rajaratnam and recognise the interdependence between our national and regional interests when we consider the problems facing our region.

In this vein, it was regrettable that ASEAN failed to issue a Joint Communiqué at the end of its Ministerial Meeting in Phnom Penh last month. This has dented ASEAN’s credibility. However, thanks to the efforts of Indonesia and the support of ASEAN Member States, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ statement on “ASEAN’s Six-Point Principles on the South China Sea” was released on 20 July 2012. We regrouped to some extent to buttress ASEAN unity and centrality.

ASEAN has to be bigger than any single issue.

We are consulting with fellow ASEAN Member States on how to handle the draft Joint Communiqué - which contains many areas of agreement between us on how to move on towards our goal of building an ASEAN Community by 2015.

We must keep up momentum on key initiatives such as the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

ASEAN must continue to build on our areas of common interest, learn from our lessons and work to reinforce and strengthen ASEAN unity, centrality and credibility.

I am confident that we will rise to the challenge.

Nonetheless, it is a reality that after what transpired at the 45th AMM, ASEAN will be judged by the world on our ability to manage a consensus on the South China Sea.

ASEAN has ten sovereign members. There will inevitably be bilateral issues, both among ASEAN countries and with other countries. All states need to be able to come together and take a neutral and unified position which favours peace and the continued development of ASEAN.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, for ASEAN to be successful in building a people-centered community, ASEAN will need the participation and contribution of its young people.

Approximately 40% of ASEAN’s population is below 20 years of age. It is for them that ASEAN is being strengthened. It will be them who will in turn steer ASEAN’s future.

In this regard, the Singapore-ASEAN has promoted greater interaction among the youth in ASEAN through supporting partnerships among ASEAN youth organisations. It is right to imbue in our ASEAN youth a greater sense of ASEAN identity. I am heartened to see many young people from our ASEAN Member States here tonight.

We are slowly but surely establishing an ASEAN Community from the ground-up. Our efforts are intended to build an enduring sense of regional fraternity grounded in national awareness. I am confident that we will achieve our common goal.

I wish everyone here a very happy 45^th ASEAN Day. Thank you.

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(6 Aug 2012)