(as delivered)

(Unofficial Translation) 

Pointers for the Joint Press Conference 

by the Co-Chair of the 3rd ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit

Tuesday, 26 November 2019, at 15.00-15.20 hrs.

104-105, 1st floor, Convention Hall, BEXCO, Busan, the Republic of Korea 

 

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President Moon Jae-in, 

Friends from the Media, 

Distinguished Guests, 

 

1. Annyeong Hashimnikka (Greetings in Korean)

 

2. It is my honour to serve as Co-Chair with President Moon at the 3rd ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit here in Busan. I would like to congratulate the President and the ROK for the excellent hosting of this Summit which has strengthened the ASEAN-ROK Strategic Partnership and promoted peace, stability, prosperity and sustainability in our region. 

 

3. The 3rd ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit was a great success. We discussed ways to further strengthen our relations as well as key regional issues. This included implementation of President Moon’s New Southern Policy, which resonates with the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and, in particular, Thailand’s ASEAN Chairmanship theme of “Advancing Partnership for Sustainability” that is meant to help create an ASEAN Community that is people-centred, leaves no one behind, looks to the future, and promotes sustainability in all dimensions.  We jointly adopted the ASEAN-ROK Vision Statement for Peace, Prosperity and Partnership to craft a collective approach with regard to the future direction of our relations.  ASEAN also appreciates the ROK’s support for the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific or AOIP.  Today, I wish to present to you four sets of words that I believe summarise the key outcomes of the Summit as follows: 

 

4. First is “greater and closer ties”.  We have committed to deepening our Strategic Partnership on three key issues, the first being sustainable security and human security. Here, we seek to maintain and enhance peace and stability to enable our region to address challenges in an effective manner.  The second key issue is economic sustainability. Here, we strive to support cooperation in areas where each side has expertise, such as green economic growth, human capital development and the ASEAN Smart Cities Network.  The third key issue is socio-cultural sustainability. We welcome the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the ASEAN Cultural Center in Bangkok and the ASEAN Culture House in Busan. This should lead to increased cultural understanding among our peoples. It also coincides with the ASEAN Cultural Year 2019.  In addition, we seek to promote sustainable development by supporting the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue in Thailand. 

 

5. The second set of words is “greater connectivity and sustainability”. We agreed to promote connectivity based on our close partnership, which will lead to prosperity and sustainability in all dimensions. To achieve this, we highlighted three key elements as follows:  (1) providing greater economic opportunities to create an economic system that is resilient, innovative and beneficial for all. Here, we welcomed the conclusion of text-based negotiations for all 20 chapters of the RCEP by 15 RCEP Participating Countries earlier this month in Thailand, with a view to signing the Agreement in 2020.  The second key element highlighted is enhancing connectivity based on partnership and synergies, whereby we strive to promote the “Connecting the Connectivities” approach at both the regional and sub-regional levels, such as through the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025, the ROK’s New Southern Policy, ACMECS and the Mekong-ROK Cooperation. And the third key element is minimising the negative impacts of enhanced connectivity, whether they be transnational crime, illegal smuggling or cyber threats.  

 

6. The third set of words is “greater security”. We agreed to address regional and global issues by making use of a resilient regional architecture based on ASEAN centrality. The common issue of priority for both our sides is the situation in the Korean Peninsula. We support the important and constructive role being played by the ROK.  ASEAN stressed the importance of dialogue amongst all concerned parties in order to realise lasting peace and stability in a denuclearised Korean Peninsula and, in this context, welcomed President Moon’s commitment and vision with a view to establishing lasting peace and stability on a denuclearised Korean Peninsula.  In this regard, we hope that all concerned parties will fully implement all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions as well as other relevant agreements. ASEAN stands ready to provide ASEAN-led platforms, especially the ARF, to facilitate the peaceful efforts of relevant parties to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula as well as promote stability in the Asia-Pacific region in a sustainable manner. 

 

7. And the fourth set of words is “greater inclusiveness”, through supporting increased and more wide-ranging cooperation between our two sides. Regarding the bilateral relationship between Thailand and the ROK, it was my great honour to have been able to welcome President Moon to Thailand twice, in September and November.  And on the 25th of November, President Moon and I had a bilateral meeting here in Busan. We witnessed the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding, namely, on cooperation in the Eastern Economic Corridor or EEC; on cooperation in science, technology and innovation; and on cooperation in the exchange of labour force information. These MoUs will help to contribute to closer and more comprehensive bilateral relations. 

 

8. The Korean proverb that is “There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship”  portrays most fittingly the precious friendship between ASEAN and the ROK over the past thirty years. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank the peoples of the ROK and ASEAN for jointly laying down such a solid foundation for this friendship. And it is now time for us to build on our precious friendship, making it an even more tight-knit one at all levels, particularly among the peoples, who are the heart of the ASEAN Community and ASEAN-ROK Dialogue Relations. 

 

9. Last but not least, on behalf of ASEAN, I wish to once again thank the Republic of Korea for the excellent hosting of this Summit and the warm hospitality accorded to all ASEAN Member States. Also, I wish to thank all involved in making this Summit such a great success. Thank you very much.

 

10. Kamsahamnida (Greetings in Korean).

 

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