Bangkok--May 29--MFA
Ambassador Eric John,
Mr. Tom White, President of the American Chamber of Commerce,
Distinguished members of the American Chamber of Commerce,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you, Ambassador, for your kind introduction. Thank you all for the warm welcome.
I knew that today there was not going to be a free lunch. But I gladly accepted this invitation by the American Chamber of Commerce — to meet and address the American business community, which has played an important part in Thailand’s economic growth and development, and contributed so much to the friendship between our two countries.
And here let me thank you for your contribution to the success of the Business Summit held in Bangkok recently, and for your participation in the many activities to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the Thai-U.S. relations. The scholarships you provided to 175 schools in Thailand were a particularly welcome gesture.
Today I intend to talk about Thailand’s position in the regional context as well as the potential that Thailand and Southeast Asia have for enhanced partnership with the United States.
Throughout the past four decades, ASEAN has always been close to the heart of Thai foreign policy.
We have always played an active role in ASEAN — both in its establishment and evolution as an organization, and in its development as a positive force for the region.
And some forty years since its founding in 1967, ASEAN has emerged as a stable force for regional peace and security, for enhanced economic integration, and for the creation of a caring and sharing society with people at the centre.
Thailand is proud to have done our part to make Southeast Asia a better place and ASEAN a stronger organization.
We have always encouraged ASEAN to act collectively in response to challenges from within the region and without. With the cooperation and support of our ASEAN partners, Thailand has contributed at many critical junctures in the organization’s history. These include our role in the establishment of the ASEAN Free Trade Area in 1992, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) — a security dialogue — in 1994, the Chiang Mai Initiative — a bilateral swap arrangement network — in the aftermath of the 1997 financial crisis.
Our record speaks for itself. We want people to judge Thailand by what we do, not by what we say.
Most recently, Thailand has played an active role in enhancing ASEAN’s disaster management. We have tried to learn from the tragic 2004 Tsunami. But we were unprepared for the scope of the natural disaster that took place in our neighbourhood earlier this month.
I refer, of course, to Cyclone Nargis. It struck Myanmar, causing immense devastation. Existing ASEAN’s disaster management arrangements were not adequate to cope.
As a neighbour and responsible member of the ASEAN family, Thailand responded immediately and very effectively
Given our proximity and good relations with Myanmar, we were the first country to send in first relief flight. We were the first country to arrange a prime ministerial visit. We were the first country to send in medical teams. We were the first country to send donations.
To date, our assistance already exceeds 12 million US dollars.
The crisis was also an opportunity to put ASEAN to work, thus reaffirming its continued relevance.
In view of the initial reluctance on the part of the affected country to accept foreign aid workers, ASEAN became the indispensable bridge between Myanmar and the international community.
Thailand has been active in advocating an ASEAN-led approach based on the ASEAN-UN Partnership to coordinate international humanitarian assistance to Myanmar.
Thailand is pleased to allow the use of Don Mueang International Airport as a UN staging area for relief flights. The first flight was launched this past Saturday.
The ASEAN-UN International Pledging Conference was held the next day in Yangon. There, I pledged further cooperation and assistance from Thailand to help the victims of Cyclone Nargis.
Thailand will continue to do what we can to help our friends in need, for that is the Thai way and the ASEAN way.
And we will continue to explore further ideas on enhancing ASEAN-UN cooperation in this and other areas, perhaps at an ASEAN-UN Summit later this year.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
What I talked about are some specifics of Thailand’s role on issues affecting ASEAN’s stability.
But more broadly, and looking to the future, Thailand has also been active in our efforts to ensure that the emerging ASEAN Community is more action-oriented, more effective, rules-based and people-centred as well as more engaged with the outside world.
As you know, ASEAN aims to become a Community by the year 2015 — a Community built on three pillars: political-security, economic and socio-cultural.
An important milestone for this will be the entry into force of the ASEAN Charter, which is expected to be by the 14th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok this December. That coincides with Thailand’s assumption of the ASEAN Chairmanship, which begins this July and will last till December 2009.
We will take up the challenge and work even more actively and effectively with our friends in the region to move ASEAN forward.
And priorities during Thailand’s one-and-a-half-year Chairmanship are based on what we want to see in an emerging ASEAN Community.
-- First, ASEAN must be “people-centred”. In essence, we hope to see an ASEAN of its people, by its people and for its people.
Thailand therefore intends to pay particular attention to the socio-cultural dimension of ASEAN. Specifically speaking, to make ASEAN better able to address issues affecting human security and the well-being of its peoples.
Important objectives for us include:
-- Strengthening ASEAN’s ability to respond to crises and emergencies such as natural disasters,
-- Promoting human security by striving toward food security and energy security, and
-- Enhancing the sense of belonging and sense of ownership among all 567 million ASEAN citizens.
One concrete activity we plan is an ASEAN Civil Society Conference to be held in parallel with this year’s ASEAN Summit. This will be one channel for civil society to offer inputs to our Leaders on the ASEAN community-building.
-- Second, ASEAN must be more integrated to become an ASEAN Economic Community.
We want ASEAN to prosper as a single-market and production base that is competitive, equitable and fully integrated into the global economy. We also want ASEAN to be connected with networks of roads, rail, air and sea linkages which will facilitate trade and tourism.
Ten countries, one economy, and one common prosperity.
Indeed, Thailand has always pushed for faster economic integration of ASEAN. Hence, we will continue to promote this process through liberalization as well as through infrastructure development, narrowing the development gaps and enhancing tourism and people-to-people contacts. We also hope to promote greater financial cooperation among ASEAN and our dialogue partners.
-- Third, ASEAN must implement our Charter with effectiveness.
We will thus work to ensure that all necessary details be in place for new organs including the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN in Jakarta and the ASEAN Coordinating Council.
In particular, we look forward to establishing an ASEAN human rights body as soon as possible to advance the cause of human rights within ASEAN.
-- Finally, ASEAN must continue to be outward-looking.
We will remain actively engaged with the outside world. Through free trade agreements with the six Dialogue Partners in the East Asia Summit (EAS) and similar agreements with the European Union and the United States — through the ARF and ASEAN’s dialogue relations.
There will always be critics. Although one English-language newspaper in Thailand published a critical and doubtful editorial about this Government’s ability to take up the Chairmanship of ASEAN, I have nothing to respond except this: “Strong men make things happen. Let others talk about it.”
We will make things happen. I can promise you this Government will be able to chair ASEAN with confidence and will work extremely hard to forge integration in ASEAN.
All these tasks, ladies and gentlemen, will demand much of us. Thailand is ready. We will do our part to make ASEAN more relevant, action-oriented and competitive, while catering to the needs of the region’s peoples. These are the ingredients for long-term stability in ASEAN, which is in all our interest.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Everyone of us, if given a choice, would love to live in a peaceful, friendly and prosperous neighbourhood — with no quarrels, no crime, no drugs and no poverty. So it is with Thailand’s regional foreign policy.
That is why one of my priorities is to strengthen friendly ties with our neighbours — through the neighbour engagement policy.
Because security and prosperity of our neighbours is our security and prosperity. And their tragedies are treated as our tragedies. We have proved this statement in the case of Cyclone Nargis.
This will not only enable us to resolve issues with them amicably. But through economic engagement, technical assistance and closer transportation networks, we can also help improve the lives of people in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. We can narrow the development gaps, which remain a challenge, and build a stronger, more closely integrated ASEAN. Because the stability of any region cannot long endure if islands of poverty remain.
A strong, stable and integrated ASEAN would not only be to our benefit. It would also afford our partners like the United States not only the desired peace and stability, but also enormous opportunities. — A dynamic market of 567 million increasingly connected with even larger markets of China with 1.4 billion, and India with 1.1 billion, not to say Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The possibilities are practically limitless.
The U.S. recognizes this. That is why we have the ASEAN-U.S. Enhanced Partnership. Let us make use of it.
There is plenty of room for the business sector to contribute to, and benefit from, ASEAN’s growth and stability. Corporations can take part in the trade and investment cross-flows in the region and exercise corporate social responsibility.
ASEAN’s growth will be your own growth. Your success will be our success.
Distinguished Friends,
Thailand’s chairmanship will come with high expectations towards ASEAN. Now 41, will it be able to become a Community by the age of 48?
We thus need every support from our partners to move forward this community building process. These include you, our friends in the American business community.
You can contribute not only through the dollars and cents that you invest and spend in Thailand and other ASEAN countries. You can also help by spreading the message of opportunities in an emerging ASEAN Community and its networks in East Asia.
As a long-time friend who shares with America many of the same values, such as democracy, the rule of law, entrepreneurship and free markets, Thailand hopes we can count on you no less in ASEAN, as we have done in our bilateral partnership, during our term as ASEAN Chair and beyond.
After all, “the Eagle” remains resonant to me as the most powerful and magnificent word of all.
Thank you.
Prime Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Press Division, Department of Information Tel.(02) 643-5170
Fax. (02) 643-5169 E-mail : div0704@mfa.go.th End.
-PM-
Ambassador Eric John,
Mr. Tom White, President of the American Chamber of Commerce,
Distinguished members of the American Chamber of Commerce,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you, Ambassador, for your kind introduction. Thank you all for the warm welcome.
I knew that today there was not going to be a free lunch. But I gladly accepted this invitation by the American Chamber of Commerce — to meet and address the American business community, which has played an important part in Thailand’s economic growth and development, and contributed so much to the friendship between our two countries.
And here let me thank you for your contribution to the success of the Business Summit held in Bangkok recently, and for your participation in the many activities to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the Thai-U.S. relations. The scholarships you provided to 175 schools in Thailand were a particularly welcome gesture.
Today I intend to talk about Thailand’s position in the regional context as well as the potential that Thailand and Southeast Asia have for enhanced partnership with the United States.
Throughout the past four decades, ASEAN has always been close to the heart of Thai foreign policy.
We have always played an active role in ASEAN — both in its establishment and evolution as an organization, and in its development as a positive force for the region.
And some forty years since its founding in 1967, ASEAN has emerged as a stable force for regional peace and security, for enhanced economic integration, and for the creation of a caring and sharing society with people at the centre.
Thailand is proud to have done our part to make Southeast Asia a better place and ASEAN a stronger organization.
We have always encouraged ASEAN to act collectively in response to challenges from within the region and without. With the cooperation and support of our ASEAN partners, Thailand has contributed at many critical junctures in the organization’s history. These include our role in the establishment of the ASEAN Free Trade Area in 1992, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) — a security dialogue — in 1994, the Chiang Mai Initiative — a bilateral swap arrangement network — in the aftermath of the 1997 financial crisis.
Our record speaks for itself. We want people to judge Thailand by what we do, not by what we say.
Most recently, Thailand has played an active role in enhancing ASEAN’s disaster management. We have tried to learn from the tragic 2004 Tsunami. But we were unprepared for the scope of the natural disaster that took place in our neighbourhood earlier this month.
I refer, of course, to Cyclone Nargis. It struck Myanmar, causing immense devastation. Existing ASEAN’s disaster management arrangements were not adequate to cope.
As a neighbour and responsible member of the ASEAN family, Thailand responded immediately and very effectively
Given our proximity and good relations with Myanmar, we were the first country to send in first relief flight. We were the first country to arrange a prime ministerial visit. We were the first country to send in medical teams. We were the first country to send donations.
To date, our assistance already exceeds 12 million US dollars.
The crisis was also an opportunity to put ASEAN to work, thus reaffirming its continued relevance.
In view of the initial reluctance on the part of the affected country to accept foreign aid workers, ASEAN became the indispensable bridge between Myanmar and the international community.
Thailand has been active in advocating an ASEAN-led approach based on the ASEAN-UN Partnership to coordinate international humanitarian assistance to Myanmar.
Thailand is pleased to allow the use of Don Mueang International Airport as a UN staging area for relief flights. The first flight was launched this past Saturday.
The ASEAN-UN International Pledging Conference was held the next day in Yangon. There, I pledged further cooperation and assistance from Thailand to help the victims of Cyclone Nargis.
Thailand will continue to do what we can to help our friends in need, for that is the Thai way and the ASEAN way.
And we will continue to explore further ideas on enhancing ASEAN-UN cooperation in this and other areas, perhaps at an ASEAN-UN Summit later this year.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
What I talked about are some specifics of Thailand’s role on issues affecting ASEAN’s stability.
But more broadly, and looking to the future, Thailand has also been active in our efforts to ensure that the emerging ASEAN Community is more action-oriented, more effective, rules-based and people-centred as well as more engaged with the outside world.
As you know, ASEAN aims to become a Community by the year 2015 — a Community built on three pillars: political-security, economic and socio-cultural.
An important milestone for this will be the entry into force of the ASEAN Charter, which is expected to be by the 14th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok this December. That coincides with Thailand’s assumption of the ASEAN Chairmanship, which begins this July and will last till December 2009.
We will take up the challenge and work even more actively and effectively with our friends in the region to move ASEAN forward.
And priorities during Thailand’s one-and-a-half-year Chairmanship are based on what we want to see in an emerging ASEAN Community.
-- First, ASEAN must be “people-centred”. In essence, we hope to see an ASEAN of its people, by its people and for its people.
Thailand therefore intends to pay particular attention to the socio-cultural dimension of ASEAN. Specifically speaking, to make ASEAN better able to address issues affecting human security and the well-being of its peoples.
Important objectives for us include:
-- Strengthening ASEAN’s ability to respond to crises and emergencies such as natural disasters,
-- Promoting human security by striving toward food security and energy security, and
-- Enhancing the sense of belonging and sense of ownership among all 567 million ASEAN citizens.
One concrete activity we plan is an ASEAN Civil Society Conference to be held in parallel with this year’s ASEAN Summit. This will be one channel for civil society to offer inputs to our Leaders on the ASEAN community-building.
-- Second, ASEAN must be more integrated to become an ASEAN Economic Community.
We want ASEAN to prosper as a single-market and production base that is competitive, equitable and fully integrated into the global economy. We also want ASEAN to be connected with networks of roads, rail, air and sea linkages which will facilitate trade and tourism.
Ten countries, one economy, and one common prosperity.
Indeed, Thailand has always pushed for faster economic integration of ASEAN. Hence, we will continue to promote this process through liberalization as well as through infrastructure development, narrowing the development gaps and enhancing tourism and people-to-people contacts. We also hope to promote greater financial cooperation among ASEAN and our dialogue partners.
-- Third, ASEAN must implement our Charter with effectiveness.
We will thus work to ensure that all necessary details be in place for new organs including the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN in Jakarta and the ASEAN Coordinating Council.
In particular, we look forward to establishing an ASEAN human rights body as soon as possible to advance the cause of human rights within ASEAN.
-- Finally, ASEAN must continue to be outward-looking.
We will remain actively engaged with the outside world. Through free trade agreements with the six Dialogue Partners in the East Asia Summit (EAS) and similar agreements with the European Union and the United States — through the ARF and ASEAN’s dialogue relations.
There will always be critics. Although one English-language newspaper in Thailand published a critical and doubtful editorial about this Government’s ability to take up the Chairmanship of ASEAN, I have nothing to respond except this: “Strong men make things happen. Let others talk about it.”
We will make things happen. I can promise you this Government will be able to chair ASEAN with confidence and will work extremely hard to forge integration in ASEAN.
All these tasks, ladies and gentlemen, will demand much of us. Thailand is ready. We will do our part to make ASEAN more relevant, action-oriented and competitive, while catering to the needs of the region’s peoples. These are the ingredients for long-term stability in ASEAN, which is in all our interest.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Everyone of us, if given a choice, would love to live in a peaceful, friendly and prosperous neighbourhood — with no quarrels, no crime, no drugs and no poverty. So it is with Thailand’s regional foreign policy.
That is why one of my priorities is to strengthen friendly ties with our neighbours — through the neighbour engagement policy.
Because security and prosperity of our neighbours is our security and prosperity. And their tragedies are treated as our tragedies. We have proved this statement in the case of Cyclone Nargis.
This will not only enable us to resolve issues with them amicably. But through economic engagement, technical assistance and closer transportation networks, we can also help improve the lives of people in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. We can narrow the development gaps, which remain a challenge, and build a stronger, more closely integrated ASEAN. Because the stability of any region cannot long endure if islands of poverty remain.
A strong, stable and integrated ASEAN would not only be to our benefit. It would also afford our partners like the United States not only the desired peace and stability, but also enormous opportunities. — A dynamic market of 567 million increasingly connected with even larger markets of China with 1.4 billion, and India with 1.1 billion, not to say Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The possibilities are practically limitless.
The U.S. recognizes this. That is why we have the ASEAN-U.S. Enhanced Partnership. Let us make use of it.
There is plenty of room for the business sector to contribute to, and benefit from, ASEAN’s growth and stability. Corporations can take part in the trade and investment cross-flows in the region and exercise corporate social responsibility.
ASEAN’s growth will be your own growth. Your success will be our success.
Distinguished Friends,
Thailand’s chairmanship will come with high expectations towards ASEAN. Now 41, will it be able to become a Community by the age of 48?
We thus need every support from our partners to move forward this community building process. These include you, our friends in the American business community.
You can contribute not only through the dollars and cents that you invest and spend in Thailand and other ASEAN countries. You can also help by spreading the message of opportunities in an emerging ASEAN Community and its networks in East Asia.
As a long-time friend who shares with America many of the same values, such as democracy, the rule of law, entrepreneurship and free markets, Thailand hopes we can count on you no less in ASEAN, as we have done in our bilateral partnership, during our term as ASEAN Chair and beyond.
After all, “the Eagle” remains resonant to me as the most powerful and magnificent word of all.
Thank you.
Prime Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Press Division, Department of Information Tel.(02) 643-5170
Fax. (02) 643-5169 E-mail : div0704@mfa.go.th End.
-PM-