On behalf of my ASEAN colleagues, I would like to extend a warm welcome to His Excellency Mr. Kabun Muto, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and members of his delegation to this annual meeting of the ASEAN-Japan Dialogue.

Our meeting provides an excellent opportunity for constructive discussions on a whole range of issues of mutual interest. The outcome of these deliberations will not only set new directions for ASEAN-Japan cooperation but will also contribute to greater mutual understanding in a rapidly changing international environment.

ASEAN and Japan are responding to the new challenges both in the region and internationally. These challenges have been precipitated mainly by the end of the Cold War and the resultant changes in the regional and global political and strategic environment. In this period of uncertainty, there is a need for greater cooperation between ASEAN and Japan given the increasing interdependency of the global economy and the importance of ASEAN and Japan to each other. ASEAN and Japan will have to continue to strengthen their growing linkages for the mutual benefit of the two regions. These linkages will give greater substance to the ASEAN-Japan dialogue relationship.

ASEAN welcomes the intention of Japan to become more engaged and develop closer political and economic ties with the countries in the region in order to ensure its peace, stability and prosperity. ASEAN hopes that Japan would continue to work closely with the ASEAN countries to achieve these objectives through ASEAN and APEC as well as bilaterally and multilaterally. As a major economy, Japan should play an active role with other countries to advance the interests of the region. We are confident that Japan will show greater imagination and creativity to meet this challenging task.

The ASEAN-Japan dialogue relationship has moved from cooperation in trade, investment, technology transfer and cultural exchanges to a dialogue on political and security issues. The introduction of political and security issues on the agenda of the 13th ASEAN-Japan Forum held in Tokyo in February 1993 was most timely. ASEAN and Japan together with the other ASEAN Dialogue Partners continued the discussions on these issues at the first meeting of the Senior Officials Meeting for the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conferences held in May 1993 in Singapore. The profound changes that have taken place in the world and in the political and strategic situation in our region have dictated the need for such a dialogue.

The security dialogue has opened a window of opportunity for ASEAN and Japan to work with other Asia-Pacific countries to enhance conditions for economic growth and development. We will have to work together to create a more predictable and constructive pattern of relationships in the Asia- Pacific region.

This new and delicate cooperative effort between ASEAN and Japan reflects the maturing of the ASEAN-Japan dialogue relationship. The challenge for ASEAN and Japan is to work with each other and with other countries to advance the peace, prosperity and stability of the region in a way acceptable to all.

ASEAN continues to attach great importance to its cooperative relationship with Japan. In particular, in the interest of developing a mutually beneficial relationship, ASEAN and Japan should continue to work closely to increase trade and investment flows between the two regions.

In a time of great change throughout the world, ASEAN and Japan must work closely, demonstrate flexibility and adopt new approaches to broaden and deepen cooperation. We are confident that ASEAN and Japan will be able to build on what we have achieved together in order to meet the evolving international order into the next century.