Top > Regional Affairs > Asia > Asean > Welcoming Address by H.E. Katsuhiro Asano, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, at the Symposium "Globalization and Future Relations between ASEAN and Japan"

(Provisional Translation)

Welcoming Address by H.E. Katsuhiro Asano, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, at the Symposium "Globalization and Future Relations between ASEAN and Japan"

27 September 2000

H.E. Dato' Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia,
H.E. Mr. Domingo Siazon, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines,
H.E. Mr. Rodolfo Severino, ASEAN Secretary-General,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to say how delighted I am to be here today and to have an opportunity to say a few words at the opening of this symposium held with the cooperation of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, marking the opening of the ASEAN Centre's special campaign "ASEAN-Japan 2000: Meeting New Challenges."

Today's symposium is also being held with the cooperation of the ASEAN countries, and I would especially like to express my gratitude to H.E. Dato' Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, H.E. Domingo Siazon, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, and H.E. Rodolfo Severino, ASEAN Secretary-General, for taking time out of their busy schedules to come all the way here to attend this symposium today. I should also like to use this opportunity to again express my sincere regards to Secretary-General Onda and all the staff at the ASEAN Centre for their constant efforts, including their work for the current campaign, to enhance Japan-ASEAN relations.

At present, the ASEAN countries are rapidly recovering from the currency and economic crisis and putting it behind them, while continuing their efforts to carry out further economic structural reforms. The Government of Japan considers ASEAN an essential partner for securing peace and prosperity in East Asia, and we are striving to strengthen our cooperative relations with ASEAN. In order to further develop Japan-ASEAN relations in the 21st century, it is essential for the Japanese people to have a better understanding of the importance of ASEAN for Japan and of the actual situation in the rapidly developing ASEAN countries. In that sense, I am extremely pleased that the ASEAN Centre, which is the only international organization for Japan-ASEAN cooperation, decided to launch a wide-ranging promotional campaign in this commemorative year of 2000. With this symposium leading off the campaign, various other events will be held nationwide, including in Okinawa, over the next two months. It is my utmost hope that this campaign will be successfully carried out with the cooperation of the ASEAN countries.

Ladies and gentlemen,

As globalization rapidly progresses around the world, the interdependence of Japan and the ASEAN countries is being increasingly heightened. In this era-ending year of 2000, the holding of this symposium under the theme of "Globalization and Future Relations between ASEAN and Japan" and discussion on the future of Japan-ASEAN relations, which have been expanded and deepened through the synergistic accumulation of constant efforts of both sides until now, come at a very opportune time.

Two great currents of our times, globalization and the rise of the information-based society, both of which have been accelerated by the IT revolution, have produced a wide range of opportunities for spurring the growth of the global economy. But at the same time, they also bring with them the possibility of deepening global economic disparities. What is important for us here is to consider how we can maximize the positive aspects of globalization on the one hand, while minimizing its negative impacts on the other. For that, the marshaling of wisdom and the strengthening of cooperation are being called for.

From this perspective, I believe that the active promotion of regional cooperation in the area of information and communications, such as the e-ASEAN Initiative and the e-Asia Initiative, is an important key for achieving prosperity in Asia in the 21st century. In light of the deepening interdependence between Japan and the ASEAN countries, Japan wishes to work together with ASEAN for the prosperity of Asia and the world in the 21st century through its "Comprehensive Cooperation Package to Address the International Digital Divide," which the Government of Japan announced at the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit held in July, and other schemes for cooperation.

Moreover, Japan strongly hopes that ASEAN, which, through its realization of the ASEAN 10, now subsumes the entire Southeast Asian region, will overcome differences in political systems and problems related to economic disparities and then sustain and strengthen this greater unity. Japan will be unstinting in its efforts to assist ASEAN in this. As globalization progresses, the Mekong River Basin development and human resources development have become urgent issues for ASEAN, and Japan has steadily cooperated with ASEAN in dealing with these types of issues. I would like to build a far-reaching and close relationship with ASEAN as we head into the 21st century, and I want to actively promote our cooperation for the strengthening of this further integration of ASEAN. As part of that cooperation, letters for the establishment of the Japan-ASEAN General Exchange Fund (JAGEF) were signed at the end of July. This new fund is expected to contribute to the bridging of gaps between new and original ASEAN member countries, as well as help spur the development of ASEAN. I am also extremely delighted that as part of the activities of the Japan-ASEAN Exchange Projects (JAEP), another fund established by Japan for Japan-ASEAN cooperation, government officials and journalists from the ASEAN countries were invited to this symposium today.

It goes without saying that peace and stability are prerequisites for ensuring the prosperity of this region. In addition to strengthening our bilateral relations with countries in the region, Japan will combine various multilateral frameworks, including promoting regional cooperation in East Asia through ASEAN + 3, which has shown a promising evolvement in recent years, to contribute to regional peace and prosperity. Moreover, to cope with the various border-crossing threats to human survival like environmental degradation, infectious and parasitic diseases, transnational organized crime, piracy, and poverty that have accompanied the rapid progress of globalization, the concept of ensuring "human security" is vital, and I hope and expect that the wide-ranging cooperation between Japan and ASEAN will be carried forward from now to deal with these menaces.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In only just over 90 days, the world will head into the 21st century. The phrase "Age of Uncertainty" once had currency as a description of our times, but in fact the great waves of momentum created by globalization have produced dynamic changes in the international community that we could not have even imagined ten years ago.

I believe it is important for us always to embrace these changes with a forward-looking attitude. Together with all of you gathered here today and with all those involved in Japan-ASEAN relations, I intend to make all the efforts to contribute to the peace and prosperity of this region and the world in the coming century with a new spirit of challenge.

Thank you for your attention.

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