Senator Evans,

On behalf of my ASEAN colleagues, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you and the members of your delegation once again to our annual gathering. I am especially delighted that Bangkok is the venue of this meeting as this year happens to mark the 20th anniversary of the ASEAN-Australia dialogue relations. It goes without saying that the ASEAN-Australia Economic Cooperation Program or AAECP, which was also started 20 years ago, has served as a model of cooperation program between ASEAN and its dialogue partners.

Today, our relationship has moved away from a donor-recipient relationship to one of mutual partnership. The nature of our cooperation is no longer a one-way technical assistance but rather a two-way cooperation. Nevertheless, technical cooperation continues to be the core of the AAECP program, building on the successes of the earlier phases. At the same time, new cooperative areas of mutual interest have been expanded in the fields of the environment, telecommunications and education. Indeed, the structural modifications made to AAECP as manifested in Phase reflects the economic nature of our relationship. By giving emphasis to economic development and private sector participation, this marks an important step in accommodating the progressive nature of our activities.

Amongst the many significant developments that have served to enhance our cooperative relations has been the upgrading of the level of co-chairmen of the ASEAN-Australia Forum to that of senior official At this Forum, political issues have now been included in the agenda, encompassing a wide range of global and regional questions of mutual concern.

This year, ASEAN and Australia as well as our friends around the Pacific Rim, have entered a new phase in addressing regional security issues. The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) held just only two days ago signifies a successful joint effort by all members in adjusting to the rapidly changing political environment. We are confident that ARF would significantly contribute to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

In the economic domain, competitiveness and interdependence have become the key characteristics in determining economic relations between countries. In this context, ASEAN and Australia share a keen commitment to strive for a more open international trading system. We have worked closely together within the Cairns Group throughout the Uruguay Round on Multilateral Trade Negotiations. We will indeed continue our efforts in addressing multilateral trade issues.

Our close economic cooperation has also been reinforced in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC in which we are both active players. We feel that the successful APEC Leaders and Ministerial meetings held last November has moved APEC to a new level of maturity and has provided the momentum for concrete development.

As regards to ASEAN-Australia trade relations, the trade volume has significantly increased at an average rate of 17% per annum over the past decade. ASEAN is eager to strengthen trading relations with Australia. We welcome the general opening up of Australia's economy with its gradual tariff reduction since 1986. Yet, the Growth of ASEAN's export to Australia is still confronted with impediments by Australia's non-tariff barriers in the form of anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations as well as the quarantine inspections. ASEAN therefore urges for closer and greater cooperative efforts to address these problems so as to facilitate and liberalize our trading relationship.

We are pleased to learn that the Australian government has taken the initiative in undertaking a major study on the ASEAN Free Trade area (AFTA) and its implications for Australia, Indeed, the ASEAN Economic Ministers are determined to accelerate the realization of AFTA by shortening the timeframe for tariff reduction and extending the range of product coverage. We hope that Australian firms and industries would take advantage of the opportunities offered by AFTA for your trade and investments.

Apart from the traditional areas of cooperation in trade and investment, the ASEAN-Australia dialogue relationship is broadening its activities in mutual areas of interest, namely the environment, telecommunications, education, industry and technology, as well as culture and information. This reflects our shared conviction in pursuing productive dialogue relations. In this context, ASEAN believes that the ASEAN Plans of Action which have been prepared by the respective functional bodies of ASEAN and endorsed by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers just two days ago could facilitate our efforts in achieving our goals.

Finally, ASEAN congratulates Australia on its initiative to reach out to the peoples and cultures of Asia. ASEAN believes that the cultivation of knowledge and good understanding of one another's cultures and heritage would help strengthen our political, economic and social ties.

ASEAN and Australia have enjoyed a constructive relationship over the past 20 years. We have created a firm understanding and complemented one another throughout our cooperative endeavors. I am therefore confident that ASEAN and Australia will continue to enhance and intensify the existing dialogue relationship in the spirit of partnership for our mutual benefit.

Thank you very much.