INTRODUCTION
1. We, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), met in
2. We met under the theme “Striving For Full Integration of ASEAN: A Prosperous, Caring and Peaceful Community,” during which we reaffirmed our countries’ commitment to establish an ASEAN Community by 2020, comprising the ASEAN Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Socio-cultural Community. In this regard, our meeting was essential in discharging our responsibility to assist our Leaders chart the course towards that end. We recommended to the 10th ASEAN Summit in
3. We were encouraged by the important progress in the development of the ASEAN Security Community, which we believed would lead to an ASEAN that is at peace with one another and with the world at large. We agreed that the ASEAN Security Community would strengthen our capacity to deal with security challenges, both traditional and non-traditional security issues. The ASEAN Security Community would strengthen ASEAN relations with Dialogue Partners and its other friends and would enhance ASEAN’s role as the ARF’s primary driving force.
4. We welcomed the significant progress in realizing the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community, a community that would be a single market and production base with a free flow of goods, services, investment, and skilled labor and freer flow of capital. We were confident that the deepening and broadening economic integration would lead to a stable, prosperous, and highly competitive ASEAN region.
5. We further noted with satisfaction our cooperation in social development. We commended the important work directed towards the formulation of a Plan of Action on the ASEAN Socio-cultural Community to complete the three pillars of the ASEAN Community. We agreed that the ASEAN Socio-cultural Community is a community of caring societies, diverse in culture yet with a distinctive regional identity.
6. We agreed to work towards development of an ASEAN Charter which would, inter alia, reaffirm ASEAN’s goals and principles in inter-state relations, in particular the collective responsibilities of all ASEAN Member Countries in ensuring non-aggression and respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity; the promotion and protection of human rights; the maintenance of political stability, regional peace and economic progress; and the establishment of effective and efficient institutional framework for ASEAN.
OPENING SESSION
7. Present for the Opening Session was the Special Envoy of the Government of Papua New Guinea, a special observer in ASEAN. His Excellency Mr. José Ramos-Horta, Senior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, was present as guest of the Chairman of the 37th ASEAN Standing Committee.
8. Her Excellency Megawati Soekarnoputri, President of the
a. In spite of ASEAN’s success in the past as a force for peace and stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region, it must endeavor to address today’s and tomorrow’s formidable array of global and regional challenges. These challenges include surging unilateralism and new or continuing conflicts; precarious regional and international economic situation; new and continuing epidemics; and transnational crimes, including terrorism;
b. as past measures are becoming inadequate, ASEAN could not resort to business as usual, but must respond with intelligence and creativity and with all the strength it could muster;
c. the Declaration of ASEAN Concord II and its envisaged ASEAN Community comprising three pillars of ASEAN Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community, and ASEAN Socio-cultural Community serves as the framework on which ASEAN can find and marshal its strength;
d. by putting its house in order and by increasing its cohesiveness and solidarity, ASEAN could thus deal more effectively with the dynamics of its regional and international environment, including in the ASEAN+3 processes; and
e. as democracy is taking place all over the world,
ASEAN COMMUNITY
9. We had taken steps to implement our Leaders’ decision to establish an ASEAN Community comprising three pillars, namely political and security cooperation, economic cooperation, and socio-cultural cooperation that were closely intertwined and mutually reinforcing for the purpose of ensuring durable peace, stability and shared prosperity. We have made quite substantial progress in the past nine months since the adoption of the Bali Concord II in the formulation and finalization of plans of actions of those three pillars as the basis in our strive towards full integration.
10. We noted with satisfaction of the Assessment Report on the Implementation of the Hanoi Plan of Action (HPA) and agreed that the successful implementation of the HPA significantly contributed to the realization of ASEAN goals set by ASEAN Vision 2020 and the Bali Concord II.
11. We discussed the draft of the Vientiane Action Programme (VAP) and agreed that it should be consistent with the goals and objectives of the ASEAN Vision 2020 and the Declaration of ASEAN Concord II. As a successor to the HPA, the VAP is a six-year plan to realize the medium-term goals of the ASEAN Community, while focusing, inter alia, on deepening regional integration and narrowing the development gap between and among Member Countries, particularly the least developed Member Countries.
ASEAN SECURITY COMMUNITY
ASEAN Security Community Plan of Action
12. We commended
Political Cooperation
13. We discussed a wide range of issues of ASEAN political cooperation with due regard to the cardinal principle of non-interference within the spirit of an ASEAN family.
14. We congratulated
15. We noted the briefing given by
Treaty of Amity and Cooperation
16. We reaffirmed the importance of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) as the key code of conduct governing relations between States and a diplomatic instrument for the promotion of peace and stability in the region. We also reiterated our commitment to enhance cooperation with States outside
17. We reaffirmed the importance of vigorous efforts to further strengthen cooperation in supporting the implementation of the Treaty on Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone, with a view to promoting the purposes and objectives of the Treaty, particularly ensuring early accession of the Nuclear Weapon States. We agreed to work together in a spirit of amity and cooperation to resolve the outstanding issues and called on the Nuclear Weapon States to show maximum flexibility and work together with ASEAN on this matter. We welcomed
ASEAN Regional Forum
18. We welcomed our Leaders’ reaffirmation, made at the 9th ASEAN Summit, of the role of the ARF as the primary forum in enhancing political and security cooperation in the Asia Pacific region, as well as the pivot in building peace and stability in the region. We resolved to ensure that ASEAN shall continue to enhance its leading role to further the momentum of cooperation in further advancing the ARF process, as its contribution to the maintenance of peace, security and stability in the Asia Pacific region.
19. We expressed appreciation to the ARF Chair for carrying out initiatives of the enhanced role of the Chair and regarded these as important contributions in further strengthening the ARF.
20. We endorsed the establishment of the ARF Unit within the ASEAN Secretariat, which we believed could serve to advance the ARF process, particularly ASEAN’s leading role in the ARF and the enhanced role of the ARF Chair.
21. We recalled our agreement to lift the moratorium and to consider the application of new participants of the ARF on a case-by-case basis. In this regard, we welcomed the concurrent views of all ARF participants to admit
22. We reaffirmed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the
23. We appreciated the efforts of the Indonesian Government in holding the informal workshop on Managing Potential Conflict in
24. We noted with appreciation the initiative of the Philippines Government in carrying out Exercise Luzon Sea Phase 1 - Palawan Expedition as a practical application of Part IX of the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention on the cooperation of states in enclosed and semi enclosed seas which is encouraged under Paragraph 6 of the DOC.
Transnational Crimes
25. We welcomed the Joint Communiqué of the 4th ASEAN Ministers Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) and the Joint Communiqué of the 1st AMMTC+3 on
Terrorism
26. We reiterated our strongest condemnation of terrorism in all its form and manifestation. We emphasized the need to address the root causes of terrorism and rejected any attempt to associate terrorism with any religion, race, nationality or ethnic group. We reviewed the intensified cooperation among ASEAN Member Countries in the fight against terrorism, which had made possible the arrest of persons engaged in terrorist activities and helped prevent the occurrence of terrorist acts. We called for greater concerted and coordinated efforts and concrete initiatives at all levels in combating terrorism.
27. We renewed our determination to enhance coordination and cooperation with the international community in combating international terrorism. We appreciated the implementation of the ASEAN-US Counterterrorism Work Plan to carry out the ASEAN-US Joint Declaration for Cooperation to Combat International Terrorism. We welcomed, and looked forward to the implementation of, the ASEAN-India Joint Declaration on Cooperation to Combat International Terrorism and current priority of ARF cooperation in fighting international terrorism and transnational crimes, especially ARF Inter-sessional Meetings on Counter-Terrorism/Transnational Crime (ISM on CT/TC). We looked forward to the signing of ASEAN-Australia Joint Declaration for Cooperation to Combat International Terrorism and the ASEAN-Russian Federation Joint Declaration for Cooperation to Combat International Terrorism. We also looked forward to the concrete implementation of the Joint Declaration on Cooperation to Combat Terrorism, adopted at the 14th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting (AEMM) in
28. We commended the holding and welcomed the practical outcomes of the Bali Regional Ministerial Meeting on Counter-Terrorism, held in
ASEAN Maritime Cooperation
29. Reaffirming that maritime cooperation is vital to the evolution of the ASEAN Security Community, we agreed to foster maritime cooperation between and among ASEAN countries in a holistic, integrated and comprehensive manner, and explore the possibility of establishing a maritime forum.
Other Area of Cooperation
30. We reaffirmed our commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights. In this regard, we noted the ongoing ASEAN efforts and dialogues with the non-governmental Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism, as well efforts to enhance the exchange of views among different sectors in ASEAN towards the realization of an ASEAN human rights mechanism. We took note of the meeting between the ASEAN Senior Officials and the Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism in Jakarta on 28 June 2004. We noted the establishment of national human rights mechanism in some member countries. We also noted the conclusions and recommendations of the Fourth Workshop on ASEAN Regional Mechanism on Human Rights held in Jakarta on 17-18 June 2004.
ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY
31. We commended the work on the realization of the ASEAN Economic Community to follow up the decisions of the 9th ASEAN Summit, particularly on the progress achieved in the implementation of various measures for the 11 sectors identified for priority integration. We lauded the decision taken by the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) to develop individual sectoral integration roadmaps of the 11 priority sectors and to submit all finalized roadmaps and a general Framework Agreement to guide the implementation of the roadmaps for signing by the Leaders at the 10th ASEAN Summit in
32. We welcomed the ongoing negotiations in regional FTAs such as the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the ASEAN-China and ASEAN-India FTAs as important steps towards our goal of greater regional economic integration.
33. We welcomed the enhancement of economic relations between ASEAN and its Dialogue Partners, both at the regional and bilateral levels. We commended the efforts of all parties concerned in promoting closer economic linkages with ASEAN, including through the ASEAN-China Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation, ASEAN-Japan Framework for Comprehensive Economic Partnership (CEP), ASEAN-India Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Trans-Regional EU-ASEAN Trade Initiative (TREATI). We also welcomed the proposal of the ASEAN Economic Ministers to launch ASEAN-CER FTA negotiations this year. We called for the early conclusion of the ASEAN-United States Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. We welcomed the ongoing Joint Study on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea, which would serve as the basis for an ASEAN-Republic of Korea FTA. We followed with interest the ongoing bilateral FTA negotiations between ASEAN Member Countries and Dialogue Partners.
Initiative for ASEAN Integration
34. We expressed our satisfaction at the overall progress in the implementation of the IAI Work Plan projects and stressed the need to secure funding support for carrying out a number of remaining projects. We urged new approaches and strategies to be developed to get more funding support from within ASEAN, ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners and other interested parties. In this regard, we welcomed the initiative to set up the co-shepherd mechanism between ASEAN-6 and Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam in order to jointly take charge of moving forward the implementation of the IAI projects. We also urged
Sub-regional Growth Areas
35. We reaffirmed the contribution of the sub-regional growth areas in bridging the development gaps in ASEAN and welcomed the support of the ASEAN Dialogue Partners, the private sector and the Asian Development Bank in these areas.
36. We appreciated the recent mission conducted by China, and welcomed the commitment by Japan and the Republic of Korea to contribute in developing Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). We took note of the interest of the Northern Territory of Australia to establish close linkages and partnership with the BIMP-EAGA region.
37. We reviewed the development of the ASEAN-Mekong Basin Development Cooperation (AMBDC) and noted that our Dialogue Partners have agreed to provide technical assistance to the Singapore-Kunming Rail Link Project (SKRL), a flagship project of AMBDC. We welcomed the support of the Republic of Korea for the Feasibility Study for the Missing Links and Spur Lines of the SKRL in CLMV Countries. We also appreciated China’s contribution to the preparation work of the Cambodia section of the SKRL and also Malaysia’s commitment in assisting Cambodia to complete the 48km missing link from Poipet to Sisophon. The Meeting noted that this would be the first hard infrastructure assistance from a member of ASEAN-6 to the IAI. This development is an important step forward for the implementation of the SKRL. We also welcomed the assistance of
The Role of Private Sector
38. Recognizing the importance of business sectors’ participation on regional economic integration, we welcomed the decision of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council to develop an Action Plan for the Business Sector and to jointly organize the Second ASEAN Business and Investment Summit with the Lao National Chambers of Commerce and Industry preceding the 10th ASEAN Summit in
ASEAN SOCIO-CULTURAL COMMUNITY
ASEAN Socio-cultural Community Plan of Action
39. We commended the
Women
40. We welcomed the signing of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women in the ASEAN Region. We believed that the Declaration would further strengthen regional cooperation, collaboration and coordination for the purpose of eliminating violence against women in the region, either individually or collectively.
Communicable Diseases
41. We appreciated the decisions made at the Ministerial Meeting on Current Poultry Disease Situation on
42. We attached great importance to addressing the problem of HIV/AIDS and committed ourselves to strengthening international cooperation both at the regional and global levels to fight against this deadly disease. In this regard, we expressed strong support to
Environment
43. We noted ASEAN’s endeavour to conclude by 2004 an ASEAN framework agreement on access to, and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from, the utilization of biological and genetic resources.
44. In order to achieve the objectives of Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, we called for cooperation with other sub-regions, namely through various partnership schemes with our Dialogue Partners, other countries as well as relevant regional and international organizations, particularly in the 10 priority areas of cooperation. In this regard, we also called on the developed countries to fulfill their commitments, particularly in providing financial resources, enhancing capacity building, and promoting technology transfer to developing countries.
45. We commended the ASEAN Environment Ministers and welcomed the entry into force the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution on
46. We underscored the importance of further cooperation in the field of water, sanitation, energy, health, agriculture and bio-diversity through partnership among ASEAN Member Countries as well as between ASEAN and other sub-regional organizations.
EXTERNAL RELATIONS
47. We noted the developments and progress made in the cooperation with our Dialogue Partners in various areas and welcomed the measures taken by both sides to revitalize the dialogue partnerships. In the context of development cooperation, we reiterated the importance of upholding the principle of non-discrimination and to implement activities that involve ASEAN as one regional entity. We strongly believed that strengthened cooperation and closer partnerships between ASEAN and its Dialogue Partners would significantly contribute to maintaining peace and stability and accelerate economic developments in their respective regions and in the world.
48. We noted with satisfaction the overall progress of the ASEAN+3 cooperation. We reaffirmed our determination to continue to drive the ASEAN+3 cooperation and to work with
49. We welcomed the establishment of the ASEAN+3 Unit within the ASEAN Secretariat, which will assist the ASEAN Chair in coordinating ASEAN+3 cooperation. We were encouraged by the progress made in the implementation of the 17 short-measures recommended by the East Asia Study Group (EASG) and called for the start to implement the remaining measures. We took note of other initiatives designed to further strengthen ASEAN+3 cooperation, including the East Asia Congress (EAC) held in
50. We noted that under the new format of the Post Ministerial Conferences, ASEAN would hold six sessions of ASEAN PMC+1 with Australia, Canada, the EU, New Zealand, Russia, the United States in Jakarta, 1 July 2004, and meet our counterparts from China, India, Japan and the Republic of Korea in four separate sessions prior to the annual ASEAN Summit in Vientiane in November.
51. We endorsed the recommendation of the ASEAN Economic Ministers to the ASEAN Leaders to convene a summit with
52. We expressed strong support for the on-going UN reform efforts aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the UN system, and looked forward to our meeting in
INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL ISSUES
53. We welcomed the full reassertion of the sovereignty of
54. We expressed our grave concern over the deterioration of the situation in the
55. We recognized the impact of the nuclear issue on the
Asian-African Summit 2005 and the Commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of the Asian-African Conference 1955
56. We recalled our commitment at the 8th ASEAN Summit in
57. We noted the rapid progress of Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) initiated by
58. We also noted with satisfaction significant progress on regional bond market development, and in this regard we would seek to implement the Chiang Mai Declaration on Asian Bond Market Development adopted by the 2nd ACD Ministers Meeting in June 2003, including the future establishment of the Asian bond fund which would invest in local currency denominated bonds, strengthen financial market information sharing, develop capital markets and support efforts to facilitate regional investments.
ACMECS
59. We welcomed the inaugural Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Summit Meeting in
FEALAC
60. Recognizing the importance of fostering cooperation between
ASEM
61. We expressed ASEAN’s full support for
APEC
62. We commended the efforts exerted by APEC to pursue free trade and investment by 2010 and 2020. Accordingly, we supported APEC’s contribution to the WTO negotiation process and urged that this endeavor be continued. We encouraged APEC to carry on its efforts in ensuring trade security and promoting economic cooperation to reduce the gap among economies in the region.
WTO Issues
63. We welcomed the recent initiatives by Members of the WTO to revitalize the negotiation in Doha Round. We reiterated our readiness to work constructively with all WTO members to achieve an outcome consistent with the goals contained in the Doha Declaration. In this regard, we reiterated that development related issues should continue to remain the center of multilateral trade negotiations. We encouraged our major trading partners particularly from the developed world, to show flexibility and to take into account the development needs and interests of developing Members of the WTO. We affirmed our continued support for the early accession of
UN Millennium Development Goals
64. We reiterated that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) had clearly set specific targets for countries to fulfill in close cooperation with the international community. In this regard, we reaffirmed our commitment to enhance our cooperation to achieve the objectives of MDGs. We emphasized our commitment to translate commitments into actions, including through the creation of a genuine global and regional partnership among governments, international organizations and all relevant stakeholders.
65. We agreed that the attainment of the MDGs required a comprehensive approach, which included, among others, the fulfillment of the commitments adopted by the major international conferences held in the recent years, namely the Monterrey Consensus of March 2002, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation of September 2002, the Doha Development Agenda of November 2001, and the Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) of December 2003.
INSTITUTIONAL MATTERS AND THE NEW CHAIRMANSHIP
66. We noted the importance of reviving the Joint Ministerial Meeting (JMM) in conformity with the decision of the 9th ASEAN Summit, to revitalize the bottom-up mechanism of the ASEAN decision-making process. The JMM would consist of the AMM, the AEM, the AFMM and the Secretary-General of ASEAN.
67. We directed the ASEAN Secretary-General and Directors General to complete their study on ASEAN’s institutional framework to determine how the ASEAN structure could be further strengthened to facilitate the realization of an ASEAN Community. We expressed appreciation to
68. We elected the Lao People’s Democratic Republic as the Chair of the 38th ASEAN Standing Committee and