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ASEAN Must Meet Challenges of Globalization: FMs
Unless the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) could cope with the challenges of the globalization, it will miss the opportunities in the new era, some foreign ministers of the grouping warned Monday.
"International perceptions of ASEAN remain negative despite signs of economic recovery in the reign, and it must address this urgently or risk being marginalized in the new global economy," Singaporean Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar said in his speech at the opening ceremony of the 33rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) being held here between July 24 and 25.
Despite the total population of 500 million people, the 10- member ASEAN accounted for only 1.5% of world economy, and was behind in responses to the challenges in the global economy, he said.
However, he said ASEAN is not powerless as it had overcome past challenges and can do it again if redoubling its efforts to recapture the losses in the last three years.
In this regard, he proposed four areas of action: boost national resilience within ASEAN, forge ahead with ASEAN Free Trade Area, make ASEAN integration a priority area and move swiftly and decisively to deal with regional transnational problems.
Speaking on the occasion, Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Albar stressed that globalization and the rapid advances in technological developments not only present benefits, but also represent risks.
"We should forge common approaches to the challenges confronting us," he said.
It will be critical for ASEAN to ride the wave of the information age, said Philippine Foreign Minister Domingo L. Siazon, who also spoke at the session.
"We should engage more in electronic commerce, building infrastructure and addressing the technology capacity gap between ASEAN members," he said.
The three ministers are among 10 ASEAN foreign ministers and their counterpart from ASEAN observer, Papua New Guinea, who attend Monday's session of the 33rd AMM.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
During the two-day AMM, participants will discuss regional economic issues, cooperation on transnational issues, development of the Mekong Sub-region, human resource development, among other political, economic and social issues.
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