Keynote Address
of
Her Excellency Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand
at the
“Thailand Tanzania Forum:
Common Challenges, Shared Destiny”
Dar es Salaam, 30 July 2013
-----------------------------
Mr. President,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Jambo and Habari Yako,
Sawasdee ka,
It is an honour to be here in Tanzania, a country that has been a leader of regional cooperation across the continent and a leading voice of the African people.
It is a privilege to be in Africa, one of the cradles of civilization with great diversity in culture. We are also witnessing a strong and growing economy.
This continent has also produced many Leaders and Nobel laureates. Let me pay tribute to African pioneers who have built a peaceful and democratic Africa of today, including former President Nyerere of Tanzania and former President Mandela of South Africa who are an inspiration to all of us.
(Rise of Africa and Asia)
Africa is now on the rise and Tanzania is at the forefront of this remarkable transformation. I say this because of the current economic growth of some 5 percent in Africa, as forecasted by the IMF, with Tanzania leading the way at 7 percent.
Eleven of twenty of the world’s fastest growing economies are in Africa. FDI to Africa is increasing by about 5 percent, at a time when global FDI is falling by 18 percent.
Equally important is the strong foundation of democracy in Africa. We welcome this. With the help of the African Union (AU), democracy and good governance have become the norm.
Those of us who believe in democracy should join hands to defend it, as in the case of the AU. Because without democracy, there is no stability. Without stability, we cannot have growth.
Similar transformations have taken place in Asia. Strong growth is making Asia one of the emerging engines of the global economy. We see democracy taking root in many Asian countries.
And we see regional economic integration, in the ASEAN Community and East Asia involving ASEAN, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Like in Africa, these regional groupings have promoted greater growth and prosperity.
Looking at Africa and Asia, you see two regions of great potential, with strong growth and similar development experiences -- so we share the same experiences and common goals. If they can link up in effective partnership, then their combined potential could benefit the world. In addition, their cooperation would make their voices heard more clearly in the international stage, in order to address shared global challenges.
(Promoting a New Africa-Asia Partnership Through Connectivity)
To this end, I propose that we build on the current momentum and work together to develop an Africa-Asia Partnership. This would build on existing cooperation and new links for mutual benefit. The most important issue for this partnership will be to enhance inter-regional connectivity.
Better transportation links between Africa and Asia are essential, by sea, land and air. Indeed, the Indian Ocean links the two regions in progress and prosperity so we need to make better use of it.
That is why Thailand’s project to build a land bridge, connecting the Dawei seaport in Myanmar on the Indian Ocean, to Laem Chabang seaport in Thailand on the Pacific Ocean, is significant for Africa. It shortens the distance for African goods travelling to the western Pacific rim.
On land, Thailand’s “New Silk Route” Initiative, to promote road and rail links across the Asian landmass, would also be connected to Africa. This will enhance trade and investment between the two regions. Increased air links would also facilitate tourism and people-to-people links.
But another aspect of connectivity which is equally important is connectivity of ideas through dialogue. Both Africa and Asia share the goal of improving the well-being of our peoples.
So both regions can gain by sharing development best practices, from fighting poverty to overcoming pandemics. I believe that no one knows better how to do so than developing countries.
Both regions also have great experience in regional integration. We can benefit from greater dialogue here. As a start, Thailand supports dialogue between the AU and ASEAN.
Our two regions should also work more closely to advance our common interests in international fora and help shape the post 2015 development agenda.
And we should work more closely together to enhance people-to-people links, from more tourism to greater cultural and youth exchanges between the two regions. I think this is another important issue and which was discussed in my bilateral meeting with the President, so we should give importance to it.
Many Asian countries have recognized the importance of strong links with Africa, such as China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
As a middle income developing country that is a logistics hub of ASEAN, Thailand is prepared to engage more with our African Partners. We want to share our development experiences, based on trust and in the spirit of South-South cooperation.
(Launching the Thai Africa Initiative)
It is with these goals in mind and to promote the broader Africa-Asia partnership, I am proud to announce here in Tanzania the launching of the “Thai Africa Initiative”.
I wish to highlight the following measures:
First, to enhance access for African products to Thai markets, Thailand is finalizing some issues on the WTO duty-free, quota-free market access and will announce it at the next WTO meeting later this year. This initiative should help build momentum for greater trade between Asia and Africa.
Second, to promote HRD and capacity-building for African youth, Thailand is launching new internships, and scholarships in agriculture, health and tourism. We want to build new leaders for African-Asian partnerships.
This will be supplemented by a new “Thai Volunteers Programme” for Africa where young Thai professionals will work with their African partners on development cooperation projects in Africa.
Such a programme will be based on sharing of experiences, learning from one another. This will enable both Thais and Africans to understand one another better as well as have broader outlooks.
Third, for food security and better public health, Thailand is ready to share our knowledge on sustainable agriculture and food processing with our African friends.
We are also ready share our experiences on Thailand’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as well as strengthen cooperation to fight malaria, HIV/AIDs and other pandemics.
Finally, to promote security and safety of sea lanes linking Africa to Asia, Thailand will renew the command of Combined Task Force 151 of the Combined Maritime Forces in September, to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia.
(Hosting the Thai-African High Level Dialogue)
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In order to coordinate further on these measures and generate new ideas on the Thai Africa Initiative, Thailand will be hosting the Thai-African High Level Dialogue early next year.
To this end, I have extended an invitation to your President and other African Leaders to participate at the Dialogue and hope that it will help raise awareness and support for an Africa-Asia partnership.
With your support, we can revive the “Spirit of Bandung” and lay a strong foundation for a modern Africa-Asia partnership.
We would like to thank you for the warm welcome given to the Thai business sector and Government. And we appreciate the kind hospitality extended to me and my delegation.
Thank you.
กองการสื่อมวลชน กรมสารนิเทศ กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ โทร. 643-5170 โทรสาร. 643-5169 E-mail : div0704@mfa.go.th--จบ--