[About this blog] Inspired by local soccer player Mike Lim during my rookie reporter days at Singapore Polytechnic, I set up this blog in August 2002. I feel that blogging is a novel platform to document interesting facets of my life and my thoughts on certain issues. [Email blogger] ephraim@singnet.com.sg

Saturday, January 13, 2007

[ASEAN Summit]
1. This evening, the Leaders of the ten ASEAN countries endorsed the recommendations of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on the drafting of the ASEAN Charter. The Group consisted of retired senior statesmen like Tun Musa Hitam, President Fidel Ramos and Pak Ali Alatas. Singapore's representative was DPM Prof Jayakumar. The members of the EPG sat in a row facing the Leaders. Tun Musa Hitam led off. The Leaders then gave their views in turn. Observing all this from behind PM Lee, I sensed a great moment, the conception of something quite historic. In a year's time, the Charter spelling out in legal terms the future of an integrated ASEAN should be signed and sealed in Singapore in time for ASEAN's 40th Anniversary.

2. Getting to this point took some time and a lot of effort. Countries do not come together out of a sense of love. It is fear that drives us together. In ASEAN's case, it is the challenge of a rising China to our East and a rising India to our West. We are staking out for ourselves a place in the sun. The road ahead will still be long and difficult, but the course has been set. Despite problems big and small, our collective future looks good.

3. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers meet many times a year. As our national interests don't all coincide, it is natural that we don't always agree. Sometimes the disgreements can be quite intense. But, somehow, there's always enough goodwill for us to find reasonable compromises. On many big issues, we now share a common perspective. A strong cameraderic unites us which enables problems to be overcome more easily. This year, the Philippines is in the Chair. Less than a month after a typhoon caused the December meeting to be postponed, all of us are back in Cebu. My good friend, the Philippines Foreign Minister Bert Romulo, is hands-on, making sure that all details are attended to. His people have done a wonderful job setting the stage for our meetings. The Filipinos are a gracious people, always polite and friendly.


With Bert Romulo and Prince Mohamed

4. On the future of Asia, our strategy in ASEAN is clear. We have the ASEAN plus Three meetings which bring ASEAN and Northeast Asia (China, Japan, Korea) together. Last year, we launched the East Asian Summit which encompasses a larger circle including India, Australia and New Zealand - sixteen countries in all. For both sets of meetings, ASEAN is in the driver's seat by common consent. Beyond Asia, we have dialogue relationships with the US, Europe and Russia. While the big powers eye one another warily, they see us as completely unthreatening. We are such nice people in Southeast Asia.

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