Minister Alatas, Foreign Minister of Indonesia, and
Distinguished Colleagues,

Let me first thank you, Foreign Minister Alatas, for your remarks regarding the significance of Canada's relationship with ASEAN. In the past years, Indonesia has conducted our dialogue relationship with skill and commitment and we look forward to even more active contacts in the coming period.

I am pleased on this occasion to be able to give concrete expression to our relations with ASEAN through the signing of the new economic cooperation agreement between Canada and ASEAN. This new treaty demonstrates that our relations have developed extensively since 1981 and can be expected to expand even more rapidly in the next decade.

In recent years, the partnership between Canada and ASEAN has undergone a complete transformation. In the early days, our association primarily focused on regional and bilateral development assistance. In recent times, and particularly in the last five years, this association has matured into one of economic cooperation for shared benefit on both sides of the Pacific. Increasing confidence and trust have led to understanding and mutual advantage.

Canada's connection with the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations now forms an organic linkage which includes governments, the private sector, non- governmental organizations and institutions. These connections are pervasive, intense, and continually expanding. They form a trans-Pacific connection, and give us all a sense of Pacific community.

They form an invaluable bond, not only at the official level among governments on peace and security issues or at the trade level among business enterprises, but more importantly on a human scale among individuals in both the ASEAN region and in Canada. They are gaining an ever better understanding of the cultures and aspirations of our respective peoples, and we are all beneficiaries.

From the official or government perspective, connections have never been closer.

Our official dialogue relationship was advanced substantially at the Canada-ASEAN Joint Cooperation Committee session meeting last April in Jakarta. During this meeting, the Canadian involvement in the FTA, and now the NAFTA, were discussed, and the point was emphasized that these regional trading arrangements are trade creating -- not trade preventing, and like the AFTA, will be totally consistent with GATT. An extensive cooperative work programme came out of the JCC which covered a broad range of areas. For example, progress has been made concerning the issues of visa and work permits for Canadian students on training assignments in ASEAN, and ASEAN students wishing to live in Canada. Students are already benefitting from our improved understandings, and this will prove a most valuable investment for our longer term relationship.

Also recently, flowing from the JCC, private sector missions from Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia have had the opportunity to come to Canada on business prospecting visits. These are concrete actions and there are more to come.

These private sector linkages are producing real benefits. Total trade between Canada and ASEAN has more than doubled in the past five years and has tripled over the past decade. Two-way trade between Canada and the ASEAN region reached a high of $4 billion in 1992. With the recovery in the global economy, this figure could and should increase exponentially over the next decade.

Canada's presence in ASEAN countries through joint ventures and other forms of investment is also expanding. Total Canadian investment in ASEAN of almost $4 billion represents an increasing percentage of total Canadian direct investment overseas. We would like to see this figure increase, however, and we want to see more investment from ASEAN countries in Canada.

In the business sector, in particular, person- to-person contacts are prized above all as signs of confidence.

Linkages facilitated through CIDA- supported Enterprise Collaboration programmes, the active involvement of the Canada-ASEAN Centre in the region, and an unending series of trade and commercial delegations in both directions are clearly paying dividends. They are delivering returns in a living network of private sector connections which are serving mutual interests and creating wealth on both sides of the Pacific.

Finally, in the non-governmental and institutional sphere, important, even vital, linkages are being established. No fewer than twelve of our Canadian universities have active academic linkages with institutions in various ASEAN countries. Student exchanges are proliferating both ways, language training is flourishing, life-long connections are developing.

Let me cite two examples involving our current Dialogue Partner, Indonesia. The Dalhousie Regional University Programme in Sulawesi and the UBC Centre for ASEAN Legal Studies work on the South China Sea clearly illustrate the extent of Canadian institutional involvement in the region. They also demonstrate interest from one coast to another across Canada.

But there is more yet. Over 50 Canadian non-governmental organizations are active in the ASEAN countries in everything from environmental cooperation to women in development. These are both areas of very great importance to Canada, where our governmental activity is also concentrated. Thousands of Canadians in recent years have had direct experience with governmental and non- governmental organizations and through them gained an insight into life in the ASEAN region. This is invaluable and it must continue to expand.

An increasing number of organizations from within ASEAN have also established linkages with Canadian counterparts and are active on issues including immigrant settlement, student placement, and cultural exchanges.

I wish in this way simply to illustrate that relations between Canada and ASEAN are multi- faceted and mutually advantageous.

As to the practical elements of the agenda for this session with respect to regional trends, it is Canada's view that these issues have been adequately highlighted during our discussions in the 6 plus 7 sessions.

I would only note here our on-going interest in participating in the full range of regional and sub- regional discussions, on various political and economic issues of direct interest to Canada.

We see the development of regional groupings such as the ASEAN PMC, APEC and others as an emerging multilateralism reflecting a commitment on the part of all states in the region to dialogue and the common resolution of shared problems. Centred on ASEAN this represents a uniquely Pacific approach, appropriate to the region and regional interests.

This is particularly evident, for example, in our relations in the area of development cooperation, and here we are talking specifically about development cooperation, not development assistance. Both the Vancouver-based Asia Pacific Foundation and the regional office of the International Development Research Centre in Singapore are active in promoting cooperation with ASEAN on a regional level.

Geographically, Canada sees itself as a Pacific nation. Politically, we see ourselves as your close associate.

As a newcomer, I am impressed with the arrangements, the mood and substance of these discussions, and I am sure that the spirit pervading over our deliberations will continue to bring returns to all parties concerned. ASEAN's constructive and positive approach to the issues it faces coincides with the natural willingness of your Canadian partners to deepen the dialogue by listenin by contributing and by working together.

Your ways, in fact, are our ways as well, and are increasingly the ways of our shared Pacific community. Canadians know that consultation, openness and fairness are the keys to advancement. We look forward to confirming our partnership and I look forward to building on personal friendships we have begun to forge this week.