KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY HIS MAJESTY SULTAN HAJI HASSANAL BOLKIAH MUIZZADDIN WADDAULAH SULTAN AND YANG DI-PERTUAN OF BRUNEI

DARUSSALAM AT THE OPENING OF THE 35TH ASEAN MINISTERIAL MEETING BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 29th JULY, 2002

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen. It is a great pleasure for our government and people to host the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN. I am delighted to welcome you all, and our guest, His Excellency Jose Ramos-Horta, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of East Timor. This is the third time we have hosted this annual gathering. Each occasion has been a special privilege for us. It has given us a wonderful opportunity to present ASEAN to our people at first hand. I am sure the coming days will show them how relevant our association is to their lives. Your Excellencies, In the more than thirty years of its existence, ASEAN has responded well to many difficult challenges. Time and again, it has demonstrated its resilience. This reflects the commitment of its members to cooperation and many common understandings. It is these qualities ASEAN leaders called upon at last years ASEAN Summit. We will be asking for them yet again from our Foreign Ministers this week. We hope this week they will look very closely at ASEANs current progress. At the Summit, we stressed the need for action to implement our programmes of development. We hope that the next few days will clearly indicate that our call is being answered. This, I believe, is the most important overall aim to be met over the next few days. For the hundreds of millions of people we represent, the most pressing item of business on our regional agenda is economic progress. It is the biggest challenge for our ministers. We feel we are making real progress in recovering from the financial crisis in 1997. Yet we still face enormous difficulties. The news from many stock markets this month is clear evidence of this. It once more highlights the sheer speed of changing events in todays world.

This is perhaps the most difficult aspect of government nowadays. Just as one challenge is met, another seems to emerge.\ It means that we must move equally rapidly. We have to be sure that events outside our control do not affect our ability to attract investment and gain access to markets. Investment must continue to flow into our region. In many cases, we must win back the confidence and trust of investors. At the same time, we have to take into account the needs and the priorities of other regions and other countries. We recognise them as potential markets but they are also our competitors. As we have said many times recently, ASEAN must have strategies that acknowledge all these factors. They must operate in the interests of all our members. The ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and the ASEAN Investment Area (A.I.A.) have been central to our efforts. They have been the means by which ASEAN has tried to compete for investments and markets. The realisation of AFTA at the start of this year was an essential step. Nevertheless, we have to recognise the full implications of globalisation and everincreasing competition. They will continue to test us. Even as cooperation in AFTA and the AIA deepens today, can we still be sure that this is enough? Will it guarantee that we will be able to cope with tomorrows level of competitiveness? These questions need urgent answers. In some quarters at the moment the reply is not the one we wish to hear. At best, it is a dubious .. maybe. At worst, it is a definite . no! Those who offer this perception would say that ASEANs efforts are well-meaning but they would claim that our market will remain fragmented. They say that rather than cooperating with each other, we are more likely to end up competing against each other. They would state that we are not in a position to establish ourselves as a base for doing business. Those voices should not be ignored. There are few who doubt our potential. But there are many who doubt our ability to transform it into reality. Are such perceptions correct?

I am confident that they are not. Nevertheless, such voices can echo alarmingly in the minds of our people. So, the challenge they offer is clear. What can ASEAN do to make sure they are incorrect? To start with, we have agreed on our roadmap for the integration of ASEAN, known as R.I.A. This shows us the way to bridge the development gap between us. It gives us a real chance to deepen economic cooperation and improve economic integration. We have also commissioned the ASEAN Competitiveness Study. It is to be completed next year. We are prepared to use its recommendations to consider any changes that may be needed in our strategies. In short, we have every intention of continuing to be a very good place in which to live, work, do business and prosper. So, I see great potential in this study. We are going to need strong political will, however. Nevertheless, I am sure that this will be given. The last summit set ASEAN in the right direction. I hope you will go through some of the decisions made at the Summit and check on the speed and efficiency with which they are being implemented. I look forward to hearing from you on this, before the next summit in Phnom Penh later this year. Your Excellencies, Having said that, your attention this week, will, of course, not be directed solely to regional affairs. ASEANs challenges are not only economic, and internal. Many come from beyond our region, sometimes far beyond. To assess them, you will be once more meeting our dialogue partners from Asia, Europe, the Pacific and America. You will be renewing friendships and cooperation. In some cases, these go almost all the way back to the founding of our association. These relationships are now an integral part of ASEAN itself. They add great strength to our cooperative programmes. They increase our effectiveness in international affairs. As such, they have to be constantly strengthened. In these efforts, I make no distinction among our partners. Every one of them is extremely important.

Nowadays, however, it is clear that our relations with our neighbours from northeast Asia have naturally taken on special significance. I therefore hope that your session with China, Japan and the Republic of Korea will serve to give continued momentum to this process. Your Excellencies, Ten years ago at the summit in Singapore, ASEAN leaders explicitly called for a widening and deepening of our external relations. The fact that we are not totally overwhelmed by todays challenges speaks much for the wisdom of that call. International cooperation has become critical, especially since we expanded our membership. We all know the special challenges this poses. There are different levels of development between our countries. This gap has to be narrowed if the association is to operate effectively in the interests of all our members. We also face far-reaching social and environmental problems. Most were localised in origin but they now affect us all. Our natural environment is being degraded at a speed far greater than current efforts to sustain it. AIDS and other deadly contagious diseases are destroying the lives of many of our people. They are undercutting the very basis of family life in our communities. The effects of transnational crime in all its dreadful forms is equally devastating. No single ASEAN member can deal with them on its own. The only fully effective way to address all these matters is by concerted action at regional and international level. So, it is heartening to see that we and our dialogue partners are committed to doing this. I encourage our ministers to do all they can to promote our existing programmes and develop new ones. Your Excellencies, Having said that however, like all my fellow leaders in ASEAN, however, I am deeply aware of other new matters. These profoundly condition our responses to international affairs. The most sinister in the world today is terrorism. We recognise the particular threat it poses to us and to all other developing regions. As an association we succeed or fail on the durability of peace and stability in Southeast Asia. That has always been the pre-requisite for lasting cooperation. Unless it exists, we cannot bring economic and social benefits to our people. That is where I see terrorisms greatest threat.

It lies not just in the horrifying menace it poses to ordinary innocent peoples lives. At its deepest level it directly threatens all international order. It is therefore an attack on the very structure of our association. That is why we are fully committed to removing its sponsors, its criminal perpetrators and every aspect of its influence from our region. Without peace and stability, all ASEANs work will ultimately founder. For this reason, terrorism challenges the fundamental values our founding fathers set down in the Bangkok Declaration. This, I believe, will be uppermost in your minds in all your meetings this week. Certainly, we must do all we can to remove frustration and resentment among our people. But it had to be made absolutely clear, however, that these offer no justification whatsoever for acts of terror. What is required on our part, I believe, is a comprehensive strategy. Such a plan would involve action on more than just the military front. It would take into account the complex pattern of terrorisms fabric. It would acknowledge the economic, financial, social, cultural and religious strands that are woven into it. In the coming few days, you will be meeting your partners in the ASEAN Regional Forum. You will be looking closely at this, of course. I hope you will reach decisions that will strengthen our resolve and our practical ability. I hope you will produce further plans to counter this profound attack on all our societies. Lastly, Your Excellencies, At all our summits we have expressed confidence in ASEAN. So, to end, may I offer a message from all my colleagues, past and present. We wish to assure our visitors and guests of one unchanging aspect of our associations unique quality. That is our unity and our solidarity. We know that ASEAN countries, individually and as a group, have enormous strength, vigour and dynamism. We also know that there is no want of resolution, foresight and sheer talent in the region. There is, however, one fundamental question we must ask ourselves over and over again. What precisely does our association mean to the people we represent? The answer we would all like to hear, of course, is that it means a great deal to them. That answer, however, will only be given if our people are brought closely into our work. Not as mere beneficiaries but as partners with each other. In nations and communities.

In businesses and governments. In cities and villages. Young and old. Men and women, no matter where they come from and no matter what their culture, religion or background. That was the dream of our founding fathers and the vision we set ourselves for the new century. I am sure that over the next few days you will again do all you can to bring it one extra step closer to reality. If you can do this, I believe it will move us significantly closer to ASEAN integration in its deepest sense. I wish you every success and a most enjoyable series of meetings. And with the kalimat Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim, Wassalatu Wassalamu Ala Asyarafil Mursalin, Sayyidina Muhammadin, Wa Ala Alihee Wasahbihi Ajmaeen, I have great pleasure in declaring the 35th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting officially open. Thank You.

Closing Remark by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam Hanoi, 16 December 1998
His Excellency, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen. I would like to begin by thanking Your Excellency, Prime Minister, and the Government and People of Vietnam for the great effort you have made in hosting the Summit, and for the warm hospitality that you have extended to all of us. I would also like to congratulate Your Excellency on your fine stewardship of the Summit. Under your capable and skillful guidance, the meeting has reached a most successful conclusion. The cordiality and candour of our deliberations have demonstrated beyond doubt that despite the difficulties in the region, the ASEAN spirit is well and alive. We share a common understanding on the gravity of the crisis afflicting the region and the urgency to address it. We know that there are no soft options. The only way to pull ourselves out of the crisis is to press on with economic reforms and regional economic cooperation. I am very pleased that we have adopted a number of important documents. I am particularly happy that we are ready to implement the Hanoi Plan of Action. We are also ready to proceed with our set of bold measures. This is significant for a number of reasons. First, the plan provides a comprehensive roadmap for regional growth and development in the next six years. This serves as a strong impetus to our collaboration in the political, economic and functional areas, which have been the three main pillars of regional co-operation in ASEAN. Second, the Hanoi Plan of Action has proposed several important measures to tackle the regional economic Crisis. Third, adopting the Hanoi Plan of Action demonstrates clearly that ASEAN leaders are serious about the ASEAN's vision of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Southeast Asia. Together with the adoption of the Bold Measures, they show our strong determination to regain business confidence, enhance economic recovery and promote growth. All of these, will give new momentum to the region's growth and development.

Although preoccupied with the economic crisis, we are also laying the foundation for long-term regional stability and prosperity. I would like to commend our Ministers and officials for having brought about the successful conclusion of the second protocol to the Treaty of Amity and Co-operation in Manila this year. Countries outside the region Would soon be able to accede to the Treaty. In addition, I urge our Ministers and officials to continue the good work in the ASEAN Regional Forum. It has been a useful and constructive forum for confidence building and fostering greater understanding between ASEAN and the major powers. As we bring the Summit to a close, I would like on behalf of my ASEAN colleagues to once again thank our warm and generous Vietnamese host for all their efforts in making our stay a very enjoyable and memorable experience. I look forward to welcoming you all to Bandar Seri Begawan for the next ASEAN Summit. Thank you.

Opening Remark by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam AT THE OPENING OF THE SIXTH ASEAN SUMMIT, HANOI, VIETNAM, 15TH DECEMBER 1998
His Excellency, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen. I am delighted to be in Hanoi again. I had the great pleasure of making my first State Visit to Vietnam earlier this year and am happy to be visiting your beautiful country for a second time. May I take this opportunity to express my deepest appreciation to the Government and people of Vietnam for the warm and generous hospitality that they have extended to me and my delegation. Allow me also to congratulate Your Excellency, Prime Minister, on your election as Chairman of the Sixth ASEAN Summit. I am confident we will have fruitful discussions under Your Excellency's able guidance. I would also like to extend a warm welcome to Cambodia. I wish the People and Government of Cambodia every success in their national reconciliation and reconstruction efforts. Since our last formal meeting in Bangkok in 1995 and our meeting in Kuala Lumpur last year, our region has experienced drastic setbacks. What began as a currency crisis in July 1997 has grown into a major economic crisis affecting many other regions of the world. It has raised unemployment and poverty levels in many of our countries and caused social and political problems. The immediate challenge is to lift our countries out of this economic uncertainty. We are addressing the structural weaknesses in our economies It is vital that we regain investor confidence and keep our economies open to restore long-term prospects for our region. We have traded freely with the rest of the world. It is this openness to both traders and ideas, that has brought us progress and higher standards of living. We will not be able to solve all the problems by ourselves, We need inputs from the major economies to revive economic growth. This is the message that ASEAN leaders must clearly send to the world.

Last year, in Kuala Lumpur, we articulated the vision of ASEAN 2020 in which there will be "a free flow of goods, services and investments, a freer flow of capital, equitable economic development and reduced poverty and socioeconomic disparities." The challenges facing ASEAN are large, but not insurmountable. ASEAN has weathered many storms and emerged stronger from them. Over the last 31 years, ASEAN has evolved a culture of regional co-operation, bringing together a widespread region characterised by considerable political, economic and social diversity. ASEAN is about trust, confidence and close co-operation. This habit of co-operation must be constantly nurtured, never taken for granted. For this, we have to thank the foresight, determination and unswerving commitment of generations of leaders and officials for helping to make ASEAN succeed. Strong personal ties between leaders and officials has kept ASEAN strong. Understanding, sensitivity, tolerance and support for each other constitute the basic pillars of what we refer to as the "ASEAN way." The ASEAN way is epitomised by our tradition of conducting our affairs on the basis of equality, consultation, consensus and non-interference in the internal affairs of each other. Adherence to these values and principles has allowed us to build a peaceful and stable regional environment that is conducive to economic growth. We in Brunei Darussalam consider ASEAN to be an important organisation, in good and bad times. It is the cornerstone of our external relations. In the prevailing economic difficulties in the region, we need to work even closer and make ASEAN relevant to the world. During the past few months, I have had the opportunity to visit many of our member countries and talk with my colleagues. I was encouraged by a firm sense of regional unity and partnership. My fellow ASEAN leaders realised the gravity and complexity of the problems and were determined to overcome their difficulties. And all this without sacrificing the principles that have held ASEAN together and contributed to our success for the past thirty years. It is particularly heartening that in spite of its problems, ASEAN has decided to push ahead with plans to promote trade and investment liberalisation. We have to take a long-term view and look beyond our current difficulties.

I appreciate the hard work of our Ministers and officials who have continued to press on with regional economic integration and co-operation. The ASEAN Free Trade Area and the ASEAN Investment Area would be attractive to investors. ASEAN is at a crossroads in its history. The crisis afflicting our region is a powerful and timely reminder that we have yet to achieve the vision of our founding fathers to build a united, prosperous and stable Southeast Asia. The tasks facing us today are no less daunting than those faced by our founding fathers in 1967. It would take us some time to resolve the immediate financial problems. I am hopeful that the challenges facing our region will bring all of us even closer together. I look forward to continuing the close consultations and fruitful discussions with my fellow colleagues. I am confident that the outcome of our deliberations over the next two days will send a clear signal to the world that ASEAN remains united, and will overcome our difficulties. Mr. Chairman, may I wish you every success in hosting this very important series of meetings. Thank you.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY HIS MAJESTY SULTAN HAJI HASSANAL BOLKIAH MUIZZADDIN WADDAULAH SULTAN AND YANG DI-PERTUAN OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM AT THE OPENING OF THE 35TH ASEAN MINISTERIAL MEETING BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 29th JULY, 2002

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen. It is a great pleasure for our government and people to host the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN. I am delighted to welcome you all, and our guest, His Excellency Jose Ramos-Horta, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of East Timor. This is the third time we have hosted this annual gathering. Each occasion has been a special privilege for us. It has given us a wonderful opportunity to present ASEAN to our people at first hand. I am sure the coming days will show them how relevant our association is to their lives. Your Excellencies, In the more than thirty years of its existence, ASEAN has responded well to many difficult challenges. Time and again, it has demonstrated its resilience. This reflects the commitment of its members to cooperation and many common understandings. It is these qualities ASEAN leaders called upon at last years ASEAN Summit. We will be asking for them yet again from our Foreign Ministers this week. We hope this week they will look very closely at ASEANs current progress. At the Summit, we stressed the need for action to implement our programmes of development. We hope that the next few days will clearly indicate that our call is being answered. This, I believe, is the most important overall aim to be met over the next few days. For the hundreds of millions of people we represent, the most pressing item of business on our regional agenda is economic progress. It is the biggest challenge for our ministers. We feel we are making real progress in recovering from the financial crisis in 1997. Yet we still face enormous difficulties. The news from many stock markets this month is clear evidence of this. It once more highlights the sheer speed of changing events in todays world.

This is perhaps the most difficult aspect of government nowadays. Just as one challenge is met, another seems to emerge.\ It means that we must move equally rapidly. We have to be sure that events outside our control do not affect our ability to attract investment and gain access to markets. Investment must continue to flow into our region. In many cases, we must win back the confidence and trust of investors. At the same time, we have to take into account the needs and the priorities of other regions and other countries. We recognise them as potential markets but they are also our competitors. As we have said many times recently, ASEAN must have strategies that acknowledge all these factors. They must operate in the interests of all our members. The ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and the ASEAN Investment Area (A.I.A.) have been central to our efforts. They have been the means by which ASEAN has tried to compete for investments and markets. The realisation of AFTA at the start of this year was an essential step. Nevertheless, we have to recognise the full implications of globalisation and everincreasing competition. They will continue to test us. Even as cooperation in AFTA and the AIA deepens today, can we still be sure that this is enough? Will it guarantee that we will be able to cope with tomorrows level of competitiveness? These questions need urgent answers. In some quarters at the moment the reply is not the one we wish to hear. At best, it is a dubious .. maybe. At worst, it is a definite . no! Those who offer this perception would say that ASEANs efforts are well-meaning but they would claim that our market will remain fragmented. They say that rather than cooperating with each other, we are more likely to end up competing against each other. They would state that we are not in a position to establish ourselves as a base for doing business. Those voices should not be ignored. There are few who doubt our potential. But there are many who doubt our ability to transform it into reality. Are such perceptions correct?

I am confident that they are not. Nevertheless, such voices can echo alarmingly in the minds of our people. So, the challenge they offer is clear. What can ASEAN do to make sure they are incorrect? To start with, we have agreed on our roadmap for the integration of ASEAN, known as R.I.A. This shows us the way to bridge the development gap between us. It gives us a real chance to deepen economic cooperation and improve economic integration. We have also commissioned the ASEAN Competitiveness Study. It is to be completed next year. We are prepared to use its recommendations to consider any changes that may be needed in our strategies. In short, we have every intention of continuing to be a very good place in which to live, work, do business and prosper. So, I see great potential in this study. We are going to need strong political will, however. Nevertheless, I am sure that this will be given. The last summit set ASEAN in the right direction. I hope you will go through some of the decisions made at the Summit and check on the speed and efficiency with which they are being implemented. I look forward to hearing from you on this, before the next summit in Phnom Penh later this year. Your Excellencies, Having said that, your attention this week, will, of course, not be directed solely to regional affairs. ASEANs challenges are not only economic, and internal. Many come from beyond our region, sometimes far beyond. To assess them, you will be once more meeting our dialogue partners from Asia, Europe, the Pacific and America. You will be renewing friendships and cooperation. In some cases, these go almost all the way back to the founding of our association. These relationships are now an integral part of ASEAN itself. They add great strength to our cooperative programmes. They increase our effectiveness in international affairs. As such, they have to be constantly strengthened. In these efforts, I make no distinction among our partners. Every one of them is extremely important.

Nowadays, however, it is clear that our relations with our neighbours from northeast Asia have naturally taken on special significance. I therefore hope that your session with China, Japan and the Republic of Korea will serve to give continued momentum to this process. Your Excellencies, Ten years ago at the summit in Singapore, ASEAN leaders explicitly called for a widening and deepening of our external relations. The fact that we are not totally overwhelmed by todays challenges speaks much for the wisdom of that call. International cooperation has become critical, especially since we expanded our membership. We all know the special challenges this poses. There are different levels of development between our countries. This gap has to be narrowed if the association is to operate effectively in the interests of all our members. We also face far-reaching social and environmental problems. Most were localised in origin but they now affect us all. Our natural environment is being degraded at a speed far greater than current efforts to sustain it. AIDS and other deadly contagious diseases are destroying the lives of many of our people. They are undercutting the very basis of family life in our communities. The effects of transnational crime in all its dreadful forms is equally devastating. No single ASEAN member can deal with them on its own. The only fully effective way to address all these matters is by concerted action at regional and international level. So, it is heartening to see that we and our dialogue partners are committed to doing this. I encourage our ministers to do all they can to promote our existing programmes and develop new ones. Your Excellencies, Having said that however, like all my fellow leaders in ASEAN, however, I am deeply aware of other new matters. These profoundly condition our responses to international affairs. The most sinister in the world today is terrorism. We recognise the particular threat it poses to us and to all other developing regions. As an association we succeed or fail on the durability of peace and stability in Southeast Asia. That has always been the pre-requisite for lasting cooperation. Unless it exists, we cannot bring economic and social benefits to our people. That is where I see terrorisms greatest threat.

It lies not just in the horrifying menace it poses to ordinary innocent peoples lives. At its deepest level it directly threatens all international order. It is therefore an attack on the very structure of our association. That is why we are fully committed to removing its sponsors, its criminal perpetrators and every aspect of its influence from our region. Without peace and stability, all ASEANs work will ultimately founder. For this reason, terrorism challenges the fundamental values our founding fathers set down in the Bangkok Declaration. This, I believe, will be uppermost in your minds in all your meetings this week. Certainly, we must do all we can to remove frustration and resentment among our people. But it had to be made absolutely clear, however, that these offer no justification whatsoever for acts of terror. What is required on our part, I believe, is a comprehensive strategy. Such a plan would involve action on more than just the military front. It would take into account the complex pattern of terrorisms fabric. It would acknowledge the economic, financial, social, cultural and religious strands that are woven into it. In the coming few days, you will be meeting your partners in the ASEAN Regional Forum. You will be looking closely at this, of course. I hope you will reach decisions that will strengthen our resolve and our practical ability. I hope you will produce further plans to counter this profound attack on all our societies. Lastly, Your Excellencies, At all our summits we have expressed confidence in ASEAN. So, to end, may I offer a message from all my colleagues, past and present. We wish to assure our visitors and guests of one unchanging aspect of our associations unique quality. That is our unity and our solidarity. We know that ASEAN countries, individually and as a group, have enormous strength, vigour and dynamism. We also know that there is no want of resolution, foresight and sheer talent in the region. There is, however, one fundamental question we must ask ourselves over and over again. What precisely does our association mean to the people we represent? The answer we would all like to hear, of course, is that it means a great deal to them. That answer, however, will only be given if our people are brought closely into our work. Not as mere beneficiaries but as partners with each other. In nations and communities.

In businesses and governments. In cities and villages. Young and old. Men and women, no matter where they come from and no matter what their culture, religion or background. That was the dream of our founding fathers and the vision we set ourselves for the new century. I am sure that over the next few days you will again do all you can to bring it one extra step closer to reality. If you can do this, I believe it will move us significantly closer to ASEAN integration in its deepest sense. I wish you every success and a most enjoyable series of meetings. And with the kalimat Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim, Wassalatu Wassalamu Ala Asyarafil Mursalin, Sayyidina Muhammadin, Wa Ala Alihee Wasahbihi Ajmaeen, I have great pleasure in declaring the 35th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting officially open. Thank You.
==-

WELCOMING ADDRESS BY HIS MAJESTY SULTAN HAJI HASSANAL BOLKIAH MUIZZADDIN WADDAULAH SULTAN AND YANG DI-PERTUAN OF NEGARA BRUNEI DARUSSALAM TO REPRESENTATIVES AT THE FIFTEENTH MEETING OF THE PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION COUNCIL PECC XV BRUNEI DARUSSALAM 1 3 SEPTEMBER 2003
2

Your Excellencies, Members of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen. It gives me very great pleasure indeed to welcome you all to Brunei Darussalam. The P.E.C.C General Meeting you are gathered for is the highlight of our chairmanship of the Council of the past two years. I would like to congratulate the committee on their planning, organization and arrangements to receive you all. Our people are deeply honoured to be hosting such a distinguished gathering of regional and world authorities. In the next few days, we will also be joined by my fellow leaders from South East Asia; President Arroyo, Prime Minister Thaksin and Deputy Prime Minister Dato Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi. In joining us, they reflect the commitment of all my colleagues in ASEAN to regional solidarity and to the spirit of international cooperation represented by the PECC. As we in Brunei Darussalam saw at APEC 2000, this spirit is also shared right across the Asia-Pacific region. It is one that encourages us to believe in a future that offers real hope. It is therefore a privilege to welcome you to our country and, on behalf of all our people, I offer our warmest greetings to you all. Ladies and Gentlemen, This Council was set up over twenty years ago. It represents almost a generation of leaders from right across the economic spectrum, from academic authorities to analysts and from business executives to political leaders. It is long enough to offer a modern historical perspective on the affairs of our region. It enables you to distinguish between short term matters of the moment and long term concerns. I see this as an essential function of the Council. Those of us charged with the day-to-day running of national affairs are inevitably pre-occupied with short term considerations. It is you who are able to look ahead over the coming twenty years and judge what verdict the next generation of Asia-Pacific citizens may hand down on our work today. It is you who are best able to keep in mind our vision of a future Pacific community, one that links all our people from rural villages to urban cities and from

small islands to great metropolitan centres. You are uniquely equipped to provide
3

that perspective. That is why I, and my colleagues in government place such importance on your contribution to our regions cooperation and development. We do not see the PECC as just an intellectual forum. We see it as a vital assembly of academic, commercial and government experts whose views are deeply respected. They will directly affect the decisions and actions we will support in ASEAN, APEC, the WTO and the United Nations. They will therefore profoundly influence the lives of the ordinary citizens we represent and the people we described at the APEC meeting in Blake Island back in 1993 as a future Pacific community. I particularly urge you to keep that vision in sight. It is a crucial one for every Pacific community and every Pacific family. They are seeking a simple right. This is the right to plan its future in peace and security and to lead its life in the prospect of increased prosperity. It is a fundamental right. It is our duty as governments to make it real and we are fortunate to be able to share some of that responsibility with those of you here today. Ladies and Gentlemen, That task should not be obscured by passing events, no matter how grim they may appear at times. These are the stuff of hourly headlines and the currently fashionable breaking news. Our people are beset by them every week and sometimes every day such as economic collapses, Government crises, catastrophe, extremism, discontent, and fanaticism. If they are not political, they stem from religious, social, or cultural movements or even health crises such as this years SARS epidemic. These are especially worrying for our people when they arouse ethnic and political hostility. Here in Asia, there are many that are causing enormous concern and alarm. The most obvious one is terrorism. When we in Brunei Darussalam hosted the ASEAN Summit in 2002, I expressed our horror and outrage at attacks against the innocent. I also expressed our grave concern that this amounted to a profound attack on world order. I believe that the widespread international cooperation that followed the attacks on New York and Washington in 2001 has achieved much. Nevertheless, the fact that criminal groups continue to plan and commit such atrocities has a profound bearing on our hopes for a genuine Pacific community. Nothing lowers a nations morale more than a feeling that their government should have and could have done more. They must never have this feeling. It means that all government affairs whether domestic, regional or international must be conducted in extreme vigilance. In your own deliberations, it means that none of your thinking can be conducted in isolation. There are modern political and security considerations that are bound to shape your ideas. I know you are all aware of this and I hope you will
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be able to play a significant part in helping establish lasting confidence and stability in the Asia-Pacific. I say this for a very important reason. By its very nature, your Council serves to bring people together. It allows them to get to know each other better and to

share common concerns. Groups like yours can engage todays disputing parties in positive dialogue and discussion. The more you do this, the greater will be the chance of stability. If the regional community we seek is to have true meaning, no one should be excluded. Every emphasis should be placed on inclusion, involvement and sharing. After all, we are trying to build something new in the Pacific. In this task, our governments could be called the regions constructors. And as all constructors are well aware, stability is the prime requirement for anything man-made. Yours, however, is a different role. You are among the regions most sought after architects. As such, your plans have to temper all designs for renewed dynamism with assurances that the foundations on which this is built are stable and lasting. I regard this as the regions priority today. Three years after worldwide expressions of hope for the new century, our people are beset with predictions of doomsday. All of us in government have to do everything we can to assure the people that this is not the case. In this, we need your help. Confidence will not come from optimistic soundbites. It will grow steadily if we are able to offer an accurate and impartial assessment of modern life. A description that is not exaggerated one way or the other. One that helps us distinguish between passing trends and that which is truly and deeply disturbing. That is why, Ladies and Gentlemen, I find it most fitting that the theme of this conference is Securing The Future. You will be discussing a strategic path for the next decade. I congratulate you on this choice. It calls on you to do what you do best. It asks you to assess the region as I have just suggested, objectively and accurately and to advise us skillfully. Above all, it poses practical questions. What in reality actually threatens ordinary peoples futures? How will it affect their economic development? And, as a result, in what way do you believe regional institutions need to change? The PECC is well placed to do this. It has already become an invaluable regional resource. I believe there are special reasons for this. The Council owes this status not only to its undoubted economic expertise. It has also shown deep political awareness. The groundwork for the establishment of APEC and all its subsequent achievements was not laid casually. Those who took part in that early work deliberately adopted what we in South East Asia believe is the only approach that
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can offer long term success. Patience, sensitivity to others concerns, and an unending search for consensus no matter how hard and frustrating the process of achieving it. It was this approach that provided the model for the open regionalism practiced by APEC and for economic integration in the Asia-Pacific. It is that same approach that will enable you to address fresh challenges successfully. Ladies and gentlemen, Much of what I have said so far is directed at the academics among you. The many private sector leaders assembled here offer a vital practical view. In Brunei, we are particularly pleased to welcome the special insights they offer. Like our colleagues in ASEAN, we have embraced many aspects of

globalisation. We are becoming more and more aware of its benefits. At the same time, we are learning about the many difficulties it can cause our people. For this reason, we have given strong support to your Development Agenda. During APEC 2000 our theme was Delivering to the Community. This highlighted the importance we attached to knowledge and the tools of ICT for developing our human resources. We set ambitious targets. Among these, were the Brunei Internet Access Goals. This aimed to triple the number of people with access by 2005 and to provide access to all by 2010. This, we said, can only be done through innovative partnerships between governments and the private sector. Those targets and digital tools remain relevant. They were re-emphasized by APEC in Mexico last year. I am therefore glad to see that you will be discussing public and private partnerships in development and the role of knowledge and ICT in one of your sessions. In development matters such as these, the participation of international multilateral development agencies will also be crucial. So, I am pleased to see that their representatives will be joining your discussions. I am also glad that speakers from outside the region have been invited to the conference. We have to reach out to others and learn from their experiences. So, I encourage you to continue expanding participation in the Council. This is now taking on new urgency. In a few days, the WTO ministerial meeting will be taking place in Cancun. One pressing matter that I know you have been working on is particularly sensitive. This is the emergence of an increasing number of bilateral, regional and crossregional trading arrangements. It is sometimes called a newer regionalism. It could well present a basic challenge to the concept of open regionalism. It could certainly impede our efforts at community-building and economic development. Realities, however, could well dictate that it is here to stay. If so, how can we ensure that such pursuits are transparent and constructive? How can we be confident that they indeed form building blocks for freer trade? You will also be
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conscious of a pressing fact. Most of the important deadlines set in November 2001 in the Doha development agenda have passed without agreement. This demonstrates how difficult it is to reach consensus on how to reshape the international trading system. It emphasises the complexities involved in finding the best ways to support developing nations deepest hopes and in fulfilling everyones commitment to reducing world poverty. It therefore increases the need for us to continue broadening the scope of consultation and doing everything we can to ensure that globalisation is an inclusive process that incorporates all views and all positions. Ladies and Gentlemen, Your efforts here are extremely demanding. Although we need to maintain a long term view, current events are always at work. Hence, the burden we place on those like you, who offer us analysis and recommendations, is indeed heavy. You have a tremendous task ahead as thinkers for this region. At this meeting, you will be able to hear and speak with political, business and thought leaders from around the world. It should result in some extremely valuable conclusions. I am very much looking forward to receiving and studying them.

Finally, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Cancun meeting will receive worldwide attention. It is the focus of attention for many opposed to globalisation. Such critics have made it clear that they will not be easily satisfied. To answer them, governments need replies that are clearly made in the interests of ordinary people. This means that great meetings such as this must have one overall focus. This is the welfare and economic future of the billions of ordinary people we are privileged to represent. The past record of the PECC gives me great confidence that this will indeed be the case over the next two or three days. I am sure that all the expertise and wisdom you have assembled here will be devoted to that ultimate end. I wish much success in all your deliberations and with the kalimah, Bismillahir rahmanir rahim , I have much pleasure in declaring the 15th Pacific Economic Cooperation Council General Meeting officially open. Thank you.

ADDRESS BY HIS MAJESTY SULTAN HAJI HASSANAL BOLKIAH SULTAN AND YANG DI-PERTUAN OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM AT THE HIGH-LEVEL PLENARY MEETING OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 15 September 2005 New York
Co-chairpersons Your Majesties Your Excellencies Secretary-General The opportunity to meet like this is a rare privilege and I very much appreciate the chance to hear your views and share your experiences. So, I would like to thank our Co-Chairpersons and Secretary-General very much indeed for bringing us all together again. It gives me the opportunity to express my people's deepest sympathy and condolences to our American hosts, whose people have suffered so much from the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Your Excellencies, In assessing our progress in Brunei Darussalam towards the Millennium Goals, one thing has become clearly apparent. The Goals have taken on an even deeper significance than perhaps we initially realized. At first they seemed to represent a kind of development checklist. Some set national aims such as halving extreme poverty, establishing universal primary education, reducing infant and maternal mortality, reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS and endemic diseases and setting economic targets. Others were aimed at universal objectives, promoting gender equality, sustaining the environment, and developing international partnerships. Looking at them in this way, our people at first tended to see them as targets that mainly applied to other countries in the world beyond our shores. They felt they had, in fact, already reached most of the specific social, economic and cultural goals. So, the instinctive feeling that the Millennium Goals largely applied to other countries was perhaps quite understandable. That, Your Excellencies, was five years ago. Since then, there have been profound changes. They have led to a far deeper understanding among our people. This has been prompted by real events. The outside world has imposed itself on our region in dramatic fashion. Our people have witnessed terrorist attacks, natural disasters, climate changes, strange new viruses, often bewildering new technology, and rapid and sometimes equally bewildering economic change. All this has shown us that, in today's reality, the expression "the world beyond our shores" does not have a great deal of meaning. There may be other countries beyond our shores. But there is, in fact, just one world which we all share. This has brought new realizations. They can be put quite simply that the future will involve more and more contact with the rest of the world. We will be more

and more affected by what happens outside our borders. And we will be more and more dependent on that outside world. This means one thing. Future peace, prosperity and confidence depend not just on ourselves but on the success of all nations. Hence, we are all partners, no matter what our backgrounds, cultures, faiths and histories. In other words, our people have begun to realize that confidence in the future for one community can only be achieved if all communities feel similar confidence. For us, this understanding has been the most impo rtant result of setting up the Millennium Goals. We have realized that, unless the goals are reached by everyone, there is no lasting security. Each failed objective is a root cause of insecurity. Your Excellencies, This places the Millennium Goals in an extra dimension. It reveals them as crucial not merely for each individual nation and its people, but as central to the profound political, economic, cultural and social challenges we must all meet together. Achieving the goals will help consign the twentieth century concept of first, second and third world countries to history. It will help to develop a single one twenty-first century world in which we all have shared responsibilities and shared hopes. In this way, Your Excellencies, our people see the Millennium goals as a historic United Nations task and we will continue to work with our fellow members to do whatever we can to ensure that we all reach the targets we have accepted. Thank you.

REMARKS BY HIS MAJESTY SULTAN HAJI HASSANAL BOLKIAH SULTAN AND YANG DI-PERTUAN OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

The Commemorative Summit Marking the 15th Anniversary of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations Nanning, the Peoples Republic of China 30-31 October 2006

Thank you, Premier Wen Jiabao and President Arroyo. May I first offer my warmest thanks to all our Chinese friends and colleagues and to the people of Nanning for the hospitality we have received. I much appreciate everything thats been done to make us feel so welcome. Its a mark of real friendship and like all my ASEAN colleagues, Im very grateful. Mr Premier, Every time Ive had the pleasure of visiting the Peoples Republic, its been much more than a formal, official occasion. I have always returned with wonderful personal impressions. Above all, I have been enormously impressed by the astonishing progress the Chinese people are making in every walk of life. And, I am sure the rest of the world will be equally impressed when they come to Beijing for the Olympics Games in a couple of years. At the same time, I have always enjoyed a wonderful personal feeling of friendship with the Chinese people. And I think thats the main thing my own people have also felt over the past fifteen years. In so many ways, building relations with the Chinese people has been a wonderful voyage of discovery for all of us. Its brought the past alive and given very real human meaning to what we call our region.

We have very much enjoyed re-discovering our long history and learning how far we go back together. Its been an exciting process and I very much appreciate the efforts our scholars and historians have made to bring it all alive again. What its done, above all, is to help us all get to know each other much more closely. We have a lot more understanding about our special concerns and the traditions and values we share. So, I would very much like to express our great appreciation to the Chinese government and people. You have all made a tremendous effort to make the ASEAN-China relationship one that is so strongly based on simple human friendship and genuine respect for each other. I think that is why we have managed to achieve so much in the last fifteen years. Looking back over this period, Mr Premier, I am extremely pleased with what has been achieved. It has certainly had its challenges, of course. And some of them, of course, have been very demanding. There was the financial crisis in 1997, the fears of major health problems in recent years and of course, the constant concerns about terrorism. These have been very testing moments for any form of regional cooperation. Yet, they have never prevented us from working positively and successfully together, sharing ideas and emerging with our partnership not only intact but greatly strengthened. This is a most impressive record, I feel, and should give us great hope and confidence for the future. In this respect, we have many interesting proposals. One of them that particularly interests me and my ASEAN colleagues, Mr Premier is the idea of an ASEAN-China Centre.

I would like to offer my full support for this proposal. I see it as a symbol of all we are trying to achieve not only in trade and investment but also in cultural affairs and in simple, day-to-day human contacts. These give a deep feeling of confidence and security to all international relations. I believe they are the most important re-assurance our people need at this time and I am sure that the proposed Centre will do a great deal to strengthen this. Let me also express my appreciation to you for all your support to ASEAN and we welcome the various proposals you have just mentioned. Lastly, Premier Wen, Madame President, I would just like to express our special appreciation from Brunei Darussalam. We are doing everything we can as coordinator of the ASEAN-China dialogue over the next three years. There are many ongoing challenges in security, trade, investment, energy, the environment and economic cooperation. The work is extensive and extremely important in the peaceful development of East and Southeast Asia as a whole. It is a question now of looking to the future and building on the excellent relations we have built up in the last fifteen years. So, it is a privilege for us to be closely involved in the immediate future of ASEAN-China relations and we are very excited at the prospect. And with that once more, Premier Wen, my great appreciation for the reception we have had in Nanning and for the warm friendship and respect we so happily share with each other. Thank you.

Address by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulah Sultan Dan Yang Di-Pertuan of Bruei Darussalam At a banquet in honour of the 60th anniversary of the Coronation of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej Of the Kingdom of Thailand ***********************************

Your Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Your Majesty Queen Sirikit, Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnessess, Ladies and Gentlemen, Your Majesty, We have the honour and great pleasure to join Your Majesties today for two reasons. Firstly we are here, like the people everywhere in this proud and ancient Kingdom, to offer a very simple personal message to Your Majesty and your beloved Queen Sirikit. We offer our warmest congratulations and our heartfelt best wishes to you both and to the people of Thailand. We do this with the deepest of respect. This occasion, however, demands much more than our simple goodwill no matter how warmly and sincerely it is expressed. So, there is another equally important reason for our presence in your beautiful country. If there is a single word to express it, Your Majesty, I believe it would be the word, honour. We are here, Your Majesty, to honour you and your people and to honour your life as their leader, their inspiration and their revered Head of State. Your Majestys reign is one of the longest in history. That, however, is a matter of academic record and we are not here to celebrate mere records. We are here to honour the substances of that reign. We are here to express our profound esteem for the personal qualities with which Your Majesty has so enriched it. Its sixty years are not just sixty years in the history of Thailand. They are, in so many ways, the history of our times, the good and the bad, the joyous and the sad, the exciting and the desperate. These times have brought the most rapid and far-reaching changes ever seen in Mans history. They have challenged every aspect of our existence, above all as sovereign nations. They have presented moments when great decisions and judgement have been called for. To these moments, Your Majesty has brought the dignity, wisdom, courage that we all seek to offer those we are called upon to lead. You have never sought to distance yourself from the lives of your people. You have never asked them to be followers or mere subjects. You have shared their joys, fears and disappointments.

You have made them deeply proud of their heritage and their identity. You have made your people feel that the Kingdom of Thailand is indeed their own Kingdom. Above all, I feel, you have given them confidence. Much of this comes from Your Majestys own personal achievements. These have rightly been a source of great inspiration to your people whether academic, artistic, and scientific, or in the most human of terms the simple example of a good and loving father. All these achievements have now been recognized by the international community. And we offer you our warmest congratulations on the Lifetime Achievement Award that has been conferred by the United Nations. Your Majesty, In recognizing all these accomplishments some accounts of your reign have accorded you the title The Great. We can all understand why. But, for us who have come to honour you here, a simpler title expresses our feelings. It is a dear and very special title. You are Our Friend and Our Most Respected colleague. You inspire us all and we, Your Majestys peers and admirers, honour you most deeply for this. We are also extremely grateful to Your Majestys Government and to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for the opportunity we have had to express these feelings of great respect in person. In arranging this unique gathering, they honour us as well. It has been a privilege to share their celebrations on this wonderful occasion and we wish Your Majesties and the people of the Kingdom of Thailand many more years of great happiness and prosperity. Thank you.