Bangkok,
Thailand, 31 May 2012 – Leaders of four
ASEAN countries reaffirmed the 10-member grouping’s commitment to form the
ASEAN Economic Community as scheduled in 2015. Speaking at the opening ceremony
of the World Economic Forum on East Asia in Bangkok today, they also raised
hopes that the common market will eventually include other countries in East
Asia and beyond.
“Physical
connectiveness is almost complete in our region,” said Yingluck Shinawatra,
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, citing infrastructure projects such
as the Singapore-Kunming railway link that will connect Thailand with northern
China, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore.
But
non-physical infrastructures must also be addressed, she stressed, such as laws
and regulations that will ensure free cross-border movements of people and
goods while at the same time strengthening security and preventing illegal
activities such as drug smuggling.
Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono, President of Indonesia, said the future of ASEAN is not just
about economic targets but also achievement of peace and stability across the
region. The new architecture is not limited to the grouping’s 10 member states.
“The regional economy must be seen from two perspectives, ASEAN and the East
Asia Summit” – the forum that brings together ASEAN and eight other countries,
including China, Japan, India, Korea, Russia and the United States.
“Regional
cooperation and connectivity will help strengthen the resilience of East Asian
nations to external shocks,” said Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Minister of Vietnam,
alluding to the economic problems in Europe and the US that threaten to affect
the economic fortunes of Asian economies.
For his
part, Thongsing Thammavong, Prime Minister of Laos, stressed the need to narrow
development gaps among ASEAN’s members. Laos attaches great importance to
regional connectivity to transform the country from a landlocked to a
land-linked nation, he said.
H.R.H.
Prince Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain, said ASEAN serves as an
inspiration to the world’s other regional groupings, including the Gulf
Cooperation Council, of which Bahrain is a member. The GCC “has made great
strides in the last 30 years,” he said. “We are now working to develop this to
reach the stage of union and achieve greater economic cooperation.”
The
co-chairs of the World Economic Forum on East Asia are: Pailin Chuchottaworn,
President and Chief Executive Officer, PTT Public Company, Thailand; Helene
Gayle, President and Chief Executive Officer, CARE USA, USA; Gerald Lawless,
Executive Chairman, Jumeirah Group, United Arab Emirates; Gérard Mestrallet,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, GDF SUEZ, France; Malvinder M. Singh,
Executive Chairman, Fortis Healthcare, India; and Masami Yamamoto, President
and Representative Director, Fujitsu, Japan.
Fon
Mathuros
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