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A LEGACY AND TRADITION OF
PARTNERSHIP ACROSS THE PACIFIC
DR. ALBERTO G. ROMULO
Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines
Third Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the
Forum for East Asia – Latin America Cooperation
22 August 2007, Palacio Itamaraty, Brasilia
Your Excellency, Celso Luiz Nunez Amorim, Minister of State of Foreign Relations of Brazil;
Your Excellency Kim Joong-Hoon, Minister for Trade of the Republic of Korea
Distinguished delegates;
Esteemed guests:
The Philippine delegation wishes to sincerely thank the two chairmen for their kind words of welcome. There is no doubt that under their leadership, the successful holding of our meeting is assured.
It is with great pleasure that I express our thanks to Minister Celso Amorim and the Brazilian Government for hosting the Third Ministerial Meeting of the Forum for East Asia – Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC).
I wish to express as well our appreciation for the warm welcome and superb hospitality.
At this time, we wish to express our sympathies to and solidarity with the good people of Peru. The entire Filipino people know too well how nature – with all its power – can drastically alter our lives and communities.
But the partnership between man and nature can also lead to wondrous things.
This is my first visit to Brasilia and I cannot help but be awed by the grandeur of a city that rises impressively in the middle of the exuberant Brazilian forest. The world's posterity owes this to a trio of Brazilian geniuses , including Oscar Niemayer who will soon celebrate his centenary this year . Their modern vision in urban planning and landscape architecture has earned for Brasilia the well-deserved distinction as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The importance the Philippines continues to give FEALAC underscores our distinctive affinity with Latin America.
The Philippines would have been part of Portuguese dominion with the signing of the Treaty of Tordesillas. But destiny dictated otherwise, and the Philippines came under Spanish colonial rule.
Under Spain, the Philippines forged increasingly stronger ties with Latin America. The vastness of the Pacific did not keep us apart – instead, it drew us together.
Along the routes of the lucrative galleon trade between Manila and Acapulco flowed not only goods, but people, culture and ideas that invigorated and enriched Asia, the Americas and Europe.
Then, as today, together with commodities came a sense of community.
This kinship found even greater meaning when together with other nations, we established the United Nations.
I recall the many stories told to me by the great Filipino diplomat General Carlos P. Romulo, who, together with visionaries from Latin America like Pedro Leao Velloso of Brazil and Miguel Angel Carcano of Argentina, fought on behalf of peace and for the rights of developing nations in drafting the Charter of the United Nations.
General Romulo also worked side by side with such Latin American greats as Herman Santa Cruz of Chile in crafting the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.
Through the years, we built our relations on these legacies.
Last year, the Philippines commemorated six decades of enduring friendship with 14 Latin American countries, 12 of which are now FEALAC members. These are some of my country's oldest foreign partnerships and among the most valued.
Together with Colombia, we hosted the Second Ministerial Meeting in January 2004 in Manila and Tagaytay. Out of this gathering came the Manila Plan of Action which set FEALAC's priorities and direction for the next stage of its development.
As Regional Coordinator for East Asia, we initiated the Core Group Process to give our work a boost.
Partnership building and cooperation through meaningful dialogue are the bedrock of stronger relations.
These values were the guiding light at the core of our recent Chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). These were highlighted when we hosted the 12 th ASEAN Summit Meetings in Cebu and the 40th ASEAN Ministerial Meetings in Manila.
During our Chairmanship, ASEAN took bold and dramatic steps towards building "One Caring and Sharing Community" that places people at its center.
We also moved significantly forward in protecting and promoting the rights of migrant workers in the region and beyond.
We share this aspiration with Latin America and are determined to work within FEALAC to bring our communities closer.
We can cooperate both at government and private sector levels, on matters of common interest that serve our goals of peace and prosperity.
Through our collaboration, we can address urgent issues that affect us as one global community.
We can address climate change and respond better to natural calamities as we help alleviate the suffering of our stricken brothers and sisters. We can help broaden the frontlines of peace and prosperity and protect the line against extremism and the threats of terror. We can harness the full potentials of multilateral trade for the benefit of all stakeholders. We can help foster understanding and respect between peoples.
On the ideal that people are at the heart of our communities, I would like to propose that in the meetings ahead, we look into the phenomenon of international migration in an integrated manner.
Globalization has widened the windows of opportunities for millions of peoples. It has, however, also unleashed forces that take advantage of the most vulnerable, particularly women and children.
By sharing the best experiences and practices of FEALAC member countries, and eventually promoting cooperation to address these issues, we can understand better the dynamic push and pull factors of migration and, more importantly, harness it for the benefit of all.
On our part, the Philippines will host the 2nd Meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development in October 2008 in Manila. Your participation will be crucial to the success of this meeting and I invite all of you to join us in Manila.
The spirit of close cooperation remains strong in FEALAC.
Through our sustained cooperation and collaboration, we can respond to the collective challenges facing our regions.
Excellencies, we meet in a city that is a global landmark. With vision and passion in their hearts, Brazilians faced the challenge of building in the heart of the Brazilian rainforest this monument to the indomitable human spirit.
Brasilia is a testament to that enduring passion, believing that when nothing is ventured, nothing is gained.
With FEALAC, together we will continue to gain more for our peoples and nations. For, indeed, it is only when we move and act together, can we go far.
Thank you. END
/esgret
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