Jeju Island, Republic of Korea, 1-6-2009

Statement at The ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit

 

STATEMENT BY
H.E. DR. SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

AT THE
ASEAN-ROK COMMEMORATIVE SUMMIT
MARKING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF
ASEAN-ROK DIALOGUE RELATIONS

Jeju Island, Republic of Korea
1 June 2009



I am honored and pleased to attend this Commemorative Summit marking the 20th Anniversary of ASEAN-ROK Dialogue Relations in this beautiful city
of Jeju.

I thank Your Excellency President Lee Myung-bak and the Government and people of the Republic of Korea for hosting this historic Summit. My delegation and I have been enamored to see the splendid arrangements here in Jeju. I can now see why Unesco has designated Jeju as World Heritage Site.

Before all else, I wish to express my deep regret that because of the election process at home, I am obliged to cut short my participation in this important summit. With your kind indulgence, I will also touch on a few items that I should be taking up in tomorrow’s session.

Let me begin by joining other leaders in expressing our satisfaction at how FAR ASEAN and the Republic of Korea have come along in the past 20 years. We have heard from previous speakers the dynamic evolvement of this dialogue relationship, and I shall not repeat them.

But several points are worth noting. First, the ASEAN-ROK relationship began around the time the Cold War was ending. Thus, we had ample space to explore and develop our cooperation without being burdened by Cold War limitations.

Secondly, the ASEAN-ROK relationship has evolved in an incremental fashion – and that is also how it will evolve in the future. It has become much more comprehensive today, than the limited sectoral approach 20 years ago.

Thirdly, our relations have withstood the test of time, the ups and downs of history : the financial crisis, the energy crisis, and the Asian Crisis of more than a decade ago.

Fourthly, this partnership has become increasingly beneficial and relevant not just to our respective national interests but also to the wider regional stability. That is why we need to make it more structured as we step into the next 20 years.

I firmly believe that we have only begun to tap a fraction of the true potentials between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea. Our trade, for example, in 2008 reached US$ 90 billion, and investment between ASEAN and RoK reached USD$ 6,8 billion. But the combined GDP of ASEAN and ROK is USD$ 2,3 trillion (Catatan : ASEAN GDP in 2008 1,486 trillion, South Korea USD $ 857 billion). Clearly, there is much more that can be harnessed for our common prosperity.

That is why we need to increase our momentum. The launching of the ASEAN-Korea Centre last March and the signing of the ASEAN-ROK Agreement on Investment at this Summit make a good start, but we need to do more.

We are here NOT just to celebrate the past 20 years, but also to chart the future of ASEAN—ROK relations in the 21st century.

Now is the time to expand and deepen our cooperation to cover the “new frontiers”. What are these new frontiers ?

Most important among them is the people to people dimension. We have all learned too well that what sustains and substantiates relations between countries is the intensity of contacts between the peoples. This is why we need to intensify concrete programs for student exchange, tourism, private sector cooperation, sister cities, cultural interaction, and so on.

Another area is cooperation on research and development. ASEAN and RoK are well on our way to becoming competitive knowledge economies. Our experts and researchers must collaborate better to reach new heights of excellence in our countries.

It is also critical that ASEAN and RoK take an active part in addressing the most strategic and most critical global issues of our time : climate change. Given Korea’s commitment to green growth economy, and given ASEAN’s abundant tropical rain forests, there is much that we can do together to contribute to the reduction of global greenhouse emissions.

In the short term, ASEAN and RoK must work to ensure the success of the critical COP-15 in Copenhagen, which is only 6 months away. We must advance the implementation of the Bali Roadmap and the Bali Plan of Action so that the Copenhagen meeting will finally produce a new and more effective global climate consensus.

I would also encourage the leaders here to take part in the high-level climate change discussions that the UN Secretary-General will host in New York in September this year.

ASEAN and RoK must also intensify cooperation on food and energy security, real issues that will determine the livelihood of our citizens and the survival of our peoples. There are no easy solutions to these difficult issues, but there are plenty of opportunities for exploration and investments to enhance our resilience in these areas.

Lastly, we must ensure that ASEAN-RoK partnership in the 21st century evolves in ways that ensures a stable, dynamic and peaceful regional architecture. ASEAN and the Republic of Korea have always been a force for peace and friendship. We now have the opportunity to play that role to the fullest.

It is therefore unfortunate that the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, which is a Cold War problem, still persists. The resolution of this 20th century issue as early as possible in the 21st century is imperative. Otherwise it will be difficult to establish an effective, overall regional architecture. ASEAN supports the efforts of the 6-party talks to find a peaceful resolution to this lingering nuclear issue.

Your Majesty, Excellencies,
As we gather here today, we are all still grappling with the global financial crisis. In most countries, our real sectors have been hit. All previous growth projections are out the window. Consumers are tightening their belts. Fiscal stimuli by Governments are yet to show their full effects. It is unlikely that we will see signs of recovery until next year.

The solutions to this global problem require global, regional and national initiatives.

At the global level, we have seen a plethora of initiatives, most notably in the present G-20 process. I am glad that the G-20 Summit in London approved $100 billion to help developing countries with sound policies that are experiencing budgetary problems. This was something that Indonesia had actively called for since the G-20 Summit in Washington DC.

In this massive effort, Asia must take leadership. If not, global recovery will be difficult. ASEAN will support every effort of the ROK, as incoming G-20 Chair, to stabilize and restore confidence in financial markets and to reform international financial institutions.

We must also renew our appeal to all nations to renounce protectionism because it can cripple global trade and investment.

At the regional level, ASEAN and the RoK can work together to offer a regional solution. We are heartened that the ASEAN Plus Three Finance Ministers’ Meeting in Bali on 3 May 2009 reached an agreement on the main components of the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization.  ASEAN and the RoK must ensure the speedy realization of this multilateralization initiative. We must do it sooner, not later.

Meanwhile, the food crisis remains a serious threat. We must enhance ASEAN cooperation in food security through sustainable food production, post harvest management, marketing and trade.

I am pleased that the ROK is now cooperating with ASEAN to increase incomes in rural areas. With this cooperation, we can boost food production by building agricultural infrastructures, modernizing our agricultural technology and breeding strong crops.

On energy security, we must prepare ourselves for any sudden oil price spiral. We must work together to improve energy efficiency. We also need to develop renewable energy technologies, such as hydropower, solar energy and bio-energy.

On the whole, ASEAN-RoK relations and cooperation are vital to the long-term welfare of the East Asian region and to the individual countries within it.

I am therefore delighted that the strategic partnership between the Republic of Korea and Indonesia has been flourishing. It serves as the foundation for our cooperation in many fields such as trade, labor, education, food security and information technology. We can learn a lot from Korea’s technological achievement. Our partnership and friendship is also people-centred. There are 37,000 Indonesian workers in Korea, and some 35,000 Koreans have found a home in Indonesia.

This Strategic Partnership, in my view, is one of the building blocks for a strong regional cooperation.

Today, ASEAN and the Republic of Korea reaffirm that strong cooperation for a brighter future. And I renew Indonesia’s commitment to this important partnership for our common progress and prosperity in the 21st century.

I thank you.