Singaporean Becomes New ASEAN Secretary-general

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, January 06, 2003

Singaporean Becomes New ASEAN Secretary-general

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) secretariat held a ceremony Monday in Jakarta to hand over the secretary general post from Rodolfo Severino of the Philippines to the incoming Ong Keng Yong of Singapore.

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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) secretariat held a ceremony Monday to hand over the secretary general post from Rodolfo Severino of the Philippines to the incoming Ong Keng Yong of Singapore.

"It was truly an honor when the ASEAN leaders at the Summit last year appointed me as ASEAN secretary-general. It is a responsibility that I will hold in high esteem," Ong Keng Yong told ASEAN representatives and foreign envoys in his first speech as the secretary-general.

Ong Keng Yong, who celebrated his 49th birthday on the day, has served the Singapore Foreign Ministry since 1979 in various political directorates overseeing ASEAN, North American and European affairs.

Talking on challenges facing ASEAN members, he said, "These challenges include the fallout from the financial crisis that swept through Asia and the impact of Sept. 11 attacks, as well as regional tragedies such as the Bali bombings, on the regional political, social and economic landscape."

He pledged to raise the image of ASEAN by making it more well-known for other countries outside the region.

ASEAN comprises Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.

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