Vientiane, Laos, 27 November 2004 – All nations must band together to successfully address and defeat the scourge of terrorism in our globalized and interdependent world.  International and regional cooperation, expressed through strong multilateral institutions such as the UN, ASEAN, and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) can help strengthen national efforts to pursue global peace and security, according to Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alberto G. Romulo at today’s meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers to prepare for the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane.

Speaking before foreign ministers and senior officials of ASEAN, the Secretary explained that the world, and our region in particular, has changed dramatically since the end of the Cold War. He said that increased terrorist acts, including those perpetrated in Southeast Asia, show that the terrorist threat is pervasive and real, and that the fight against terrorism needs to be sustained effectively and with dynamism.

“It is in this context that the Philippines hosted and co-chaired with Russia the ARF Inter-Sessional Meeting on Counter-terrorism and Transnational Crime last March. We also co-chaired with the Republic of Korea an ARF seminar on cyber-terrorism.  Recently in Chile, the Philippines was elected Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Task Force in the APEC for the period 2005-2006 which is a clear recognition of the significant contributions we have been able to make so far in the fight against terrorism,” Secretary Romulo said.

The Secretary also expressed concern of countries in the region for the peaceful resolution of the nuclear weapons issue in the divided Korean peninsula and stated that every effort must be taken to maintain a dialogue on the issue.

“We all support the Six Party talks, and I believe that ASEAN, through ARF and its Chair, could encourage all parties concerned to demonstrate more flexibility so that a negotiated and peaceful settlement of the nuclear weapons issue could be found,” he stressed.

Significantly, the Secretary noted that ASEAN countries and China have affirmed their resolve to transform the South China Sea from an area of potential conflict to an area with concrete opportunities for cooperation. He said that the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea has reaffirmed the political commitment of the countries in the region to implement this declaration in letter and in spirit.

Turning to issues in the United Nations, Secretary Romulo said that the election of the Philippines as a non-permanent member of the Security Council has provided a  vantage point for addressing the problems besetting other parts of the globe. It also gave it the opportunity to work together with other countries in the world in ensuring global peace and stability.

“We in ASEAN value the working relations we have developed with our partners in addressing opportunities and issues in the East Asian region. The Philippines looks forward to being able to expand this cooperation beyond our geographic borders to include cooperation in fora like the United Nations, to be able to better project our interests as a region,” the Secretary said. END.
 
 

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