Minister George Yeo's Statement at the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting III, 22 August 2007

Minister's Statement at the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting III, 22 August 2007

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Transcript:

1 "Thank you Mr Chairman.

2 FEALAC hasn't got a very urgent agenda; it is certainly not the most important meeting we have. The distances are long, so many of us from Asia, before we came, asked ourselves whether it was worth the effort. I remember when ASEAN Foreign Ministers were meeting in Manila, we were checking with one another, "Are you going? Are you going?" But somehow, something in our instincts told us that it was worth going to. You don't quite know what you would miss out if you don't go and for those of us who have made this long journey - for me, over 30 hours - I have no doubt it was worth the while coming here. It is not because the agenda is so dramatic or so critical to our national interest, but because at a trade fair or political fair, we talk, we network, we learn, we see opportunities and we act on them.

3 This morning, between Mercosur and ASEAN Foreign Ministers, we had a very good breakfast meeting. There was a tremendous spirit of warmth and wanting to work together. If we take a step back, today, the Asian economies have a combined GDP that is comparable to that of North America and Europe. A little less perhaps, depending on whether you take nominal numbers or PPP, but there's no doubt that in 10, 20, 30 years’ time, the Asian economy will be bigger than the North American and European economies.

4 If you look at Latin America, of all the continents, it has the best resource-to-people ratio. This great country Brazil alone has more arable land than any other country on earth. And if you add to it the vast land areas of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and the other countries, the region is so remarkably well-endowed, whereas Asia is over-populated. So there is a great complementarity and sooner or later with globalisation, that complementarity must mean abundant opportunities for countries, companies and individuals. I believe it is a sense of this that has prompted us to come here. It is also this sense that has led Chile to be a pioneer in trade agreements in Latin America.

5 I remember when I was in the armed forces in the 80s, General Pinochet despatching a naval attaché to Singapore. I asked the attache, 'What for?' He said, "Our President thinks that Asia will one day become very important to Chile." And every year, the Esmeralda, a tall mid-shipment ship would sail to Singapore. Little by little, it became clear that that assessment was a correct one. So whether it is FTAs, or APEC, or the widening of the Panama Canal or the road from Brazil to Peru, or a thousand other initiatives, the river of globalisation is slowly, but steadily, inexorably finding its way to the sea. And I think FEALAC is one channel through which it flows.

6 We have to do many things. First, we have to know one another. So we must visit each other. Every year in Singapore, we have a Latin-Asia Business Forum. It is not very big, but interesting enough for those who attend. I heard from Samuel (Vice President and Foreign Minister of Panama) that Panama is having an Asian Centre, and I think that is very useful. We need many such centres – about Latin America for Asian countries and about Asia for Latin American countries. We have a Journalists' Visit Programme to encourage journalists from Latin America to visit Singapore, and through Singapore, to visit other countries in East Asia.

7 We cannot be dependent only on European and North American news agencies for us to learn about one another. Because if we depend on them alone, we will only receive bad news, as it is only bad news which travel. We need direct contact. And with instantaneous media, that direct contact is at our disposal. So when an earthquake happens in Peru, immediately, our hearts go out to the people of Peru; when Korean hostages are treated in a contemptible way in Afghanistan, there is an immediate common sense of solidarity with the Korean people.

8 So we need people to meet, to make use of the means available at our disposal, and to seize opportunities. The game is about who react faster to seize opportunities; they will benefit the most. And I believe FEALAC will open for us, many new opportunities which we may otherwise not be aware of, and in this way, help benefit our people. Because in the end, that is what it is all about - Do we create jobs? Are we able to attract more investments?

9 It was fascinating listening to President Lula earlier, and how his mind, like a stream of consciousness flowed - first, from Latin American integration, to links with Africa, the Middle East, India and East Asia, to the G20 initiative.

10 From different vantage points, each of us, responding to the pressures of globalisation, is seeking out new patterns which will benefit us, in the process, all of us benefiting one another.

11 Thank you Mr Chairman."

George Yeo

Opening Ceremony of FEALAC

Asean Mercosur Breakfast at FEALAC

FEALAC Group Photo

Comments

[Moreforthepeople]

Hi,
Here is my take on Cooperations. If they bring prosperity to all citizens (schools for all kids, health care for all citizens, and a decent living.) then it is great. I support Chaves moves to help his people. But if the Cooperations are just going to be like what WTO does, open markets to big companies that make maximum profit at the expense of the people of the land then I would be strongly oppose to the Cooperations. Seriously, globalisation has only made the people in the country not prepared for it poor and the rich richer. Globalisation is not for countries who have no safety nets for their citizens. I think you would know this very well. Singapore right now does ok for it citizens but the rich and poor gap is rising within our country.
Singapore should always watch itself aboard. I don't want be afaird like the Americans of others because profit driven companies from my country have exploited their country. We should have some system to keep that in check. I don't want another burning Singapore flag like in Thailand.

When you say Brazil, Argentina and others has so much cultivable land then why are there so many chidren (millions) that go hungery. Indonesia is rich in resources but it is in poverty. Ya we can blame bad goverance and greed but why don't we look at ourselves?

Every year Singapore chokes on the smoke of the burning forests. The temperatures go higher. We, in Singapore just go indoors or turn on the airconditioning, and critise the people in Indonesia for not caring about their forests. What are they to do? They are poor!!! They want to survive too. Don't you think if Asean got together and each country depending on its eco footprint PAID the countries that have forest to protect them, we could solve many problems VERY FAST? We should pay the people (the citizens who live there) fair, so that they would not cut it down or would not allow others to come in and cut it down. Bukit timah cannot produce enough oxygen for 4 or so million Singapores!!

Best Regards,

[jadoze]

Hello Dear,

I KNOW THAT MY MESSAGE WILL COME TO YOU AS A SUPRISE SINCE I DONT KNOW YOU IN PERSON OR MET WITH YOU BEFORE,BUT IAM OF THE BELIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE OBLIGED TO COME TO MY ASSISTANCE AFTER HEARING ABOUT MY SITUATION.

I AM JADOZE KOLONGA, THE ONLY CHILD OF LATE MR AND MRS.HENRY KOLONGA.MY FATHER WAS A VERY WEALTHY COCOA MERCHANT BASED IN ABIDJAN, THE ECONOMIC CAPITAL OF IVORY COAST BEFORE HE WAS POISONED TO DEATH BY HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATES ON ONE OF THEIR OUTING TO DISCUSS ON A BUSINESS.WHEN MY MOTHER DIED ON THE 21ST OCTOBER 1986, MY FATHER TOOK ME SO SPECIAL BECAUSE I AM MOTHERLESS. BEFORE THE DEATH OF MY FATHER ON 29TH JUNE 2005 IN A PRIVATE HOSPITAL HERE IN ABIDJAN. HE SECRETLY CALLED ME ON HIS BEDSIDE AND TOLD ME THAT HE HAS A SUM OF US$ 10,000,000 (TEN MILLION, UNITED STATES DOLLARS) LEFT IN A SUSPENCE ACCOUNT IN A LOCAL BANK HERE IN ABIDJAN, THAT HE USED MY NAME AS HIS ONLY SON FOR THE NEXT OF KIN IN DEPOSIT OF THE FUND.

HE ALSO EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THIS WEALTH THAT HE WAS POISONED BY HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATES. THAT I SHOULD SEEK FOR A FOREIGN PARTNER IN A COUNTRY OF MY CHOICE WHERE I WILL TRANSFER THIS MONEY AND USE IT FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSE, (SUCH AS REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT). I AM HONOURABLY SEEKING YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS.

1)TO SERVE AS THE GUARDIAN OF THIS FUND SINCE I AM A BOY OF 21 YEARS,
2)TO MAKE ARRANGEMENT FOR ME TO COME OVER TO YOUR COUNTRY AFTER THE MONEY HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED. MOREOVER, I AM WILLING TO OFFER YOU 10% OF THE TOTAL SUM AS COMPENSATION FOR YOUR EFFORT/INPUT AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOUR NORMINATED ACCOUNT OVERSEAS.FURTHER MORE, YOU CAN INDICATE YOUR OPTION TOWARDS ASSISTING ME AS I BELIEVE THAT THIS TRANSACTION WOULD BE CONCLUDED WITHIN SEVEN (7) DAYS YOU SIGNIFY INTEREST TO ASSIST ME.

THANKS AND GOD BLESS YOU.
SINCERELY.
JADOZE KOLONGA.