Keynote Speech

Summary

I am delighted to be here. This is absolutely the right time to be discussing New Zealand's relations with ASEAN. Tomorrow we will be looking specifically at our relationship with Singapore — a longstanding, close relationship that we must make sure we don't take for granted. This seminar is but one event of an exciting three-week festival comprising a wide range of activities which aims to expose Singaporeans to twenty-first century New Zealand — a country of innovation, initiative and diversity with a growing sense of its connectedness to this region.

My thanks to the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies for co- hosting the seminar with the New Zealand High Commission. You have put together a very interesting programme and I hope that participants get a lot out of it.

This symposium is one of the initiatives that my Prime Minister, Helen Clark, announced at the ASEAN Summit last year as part of New Zealand's enhanced engagement with Southeast Asia.

I would like to set the scene for today's discussion by describing in broad terms New Zealand's relationship with ASEAN and how we see it developing. The ASEAN region is on the move; it is fundamentally in New Zealand's interests to be part of this process; and that whilst much has been achieved in our relationships, we need to and will do more.

Let me stress that we don't take our place or our role in the region for granted. We recently celebrated thirty years of relations with ASEAN, and over that time have established many good relationships throughout the region. I think its fair to say that many of us feel an affinity with ASEAN countries. Often this is based on warm personal relationships, but it also reflects the fact that you are our closest neighbours beyond the Pacific Forum community. There is a history to this. For example, our diplomatic mission in Singapore has been here for over fifty years — and there are few other countries that claim that sort of record, in the region.