Statement of the ASEAN Secretary-General, H.E. Narciso G. Reyes, on the Occasion of the Formal Inauguration of the ASEAN Secretariat Building

Day of Pride and Hope

TODAY, the 9th of May, nineteen hundred and eighty-one, is a memorable day for the ASEAN secretariat.

It is, first of all, a day of thanksgiving:

of profound gratitude to the Government of Indonesia for providing this magnificent new building in which the ASEAN Secretariat can work in comfort with enhanced efficiency;

of grateful recognition of the labor of love lavished on this building by the Indonesian architects, engineers and workers who joined hands to erect a splendid new home for the ASEAN secretariat;

of heartful appreciation of the gifts of priceless works of art donated by H.E. President and Madame Soeharto of Indonesia; H.E. Prime Minister Tinsulanonda of Thailand; and the Honorable Imelda Romualdez Marcos, the First Lady of the Philippines. These priceless gifts will add elegance and beauty to this new building. Together with the Assembled coats of arms of the five ASEAN nations, they will also serve as perpetual reminders of their common faith in ASEAN and their joint commitment to ensure its success;

Today is also a day of pride for the ASEAN secretariat:

Pride in ASEAN’s lofty aims and aspirations;

Pride in the vision and the courage with which the ASEAN leaders have upheld ASEAN’s principles in the face of the crisis which beset Southeast Asia;

Pride in the heroic efforts of the ASEAN people to achieve unity in a divided world, to practice cooperation in a region afflicted with confrontation and conflict, to show by their example that it is possible to build a thriving community of nations upon the foundation of the United Nations Charter and the principles of peaceful co-existence.

For the ASEAN secretariat today is also a day of hope:

Hope that ASEAN will continue to flourish, enabling the ASEAN nations to prosper in freedom and security;

Hope that the ASEAN goal of establishing a Zone of Peace, Freedom, and Neutrality will be attained;

Hope that this gleaming edifice being inaugurated today will in time symbolize the recognition of ASEAN as one of the cornerstones of the New International Economic Order.

And finally, for the ASEAN secretariat, today is a day of renewed dedication to the ideals of ASEAN,

To our solemn pledge to serve ASEAN with utmost loyalty and devotion;

To act as trustees of the ASEAN Secretariats cherished traditions;

To do the best we can to help translate the ASEAN dream into living reality.