Excellencies
Friends and Fellow Citizens of ASEAN,
We have gathered here this evening to celebrate ASEAN's 43rd anniversary. ASEAN has come a long way from its modest beginnings in 1967.
Over the years, ASEAN has successfully overcome many challenges, including war and revolution in the 1960s and after that financial crises, natural disasters and SARS. By promoting peace and cooperation, ASEAN has brought about a conducive regional environment for social and economic development. ASEAN has helped create jobs and opportunities for our people.
This annual celebration of ASEAN has been a tradition for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2007. We are honoured by the presence of members of the diplomatic corps representing many countries, all of whom, I can safely say without exception, wish us well. I also acknowledge the presence of officers from various Singapore government ministries and agencies who work closely with MFA on ASEAN's wide-ranging agenda. We welcome and thank members of the private sector who have joined us tonight; they are the ones actually doing the actual work of integrating ASEAN and connecting ASEAN to the rest of Asia and the world.
Slowly but surely, an ASEAN community is being established not only top down but also from the bottom up. At the recent Hanoi meeting, all the Foreign Ministers thought it a good idea to have the ASEAN flag fluttering side by side with our national flags at the foreign missions of ASEAN member states from 2015 onwards when we would have become an ASEAN Community with three pillars - political/security, economic and social/cultural. And here, we follow the example of the European Union.
Because of our hub position, Singapore is the most "ASEAN-ised" among the ASEAN member-states. All the other nine ASEAN member-states have large numbers of their citizens living in Singapore, working or studying here. And Singapore has strong investment and trade links with all of them. Such people-to-people links help build a stronger ASEAN identity among us.
It has become customary to invite youths from all ASEAN countries to this annual event. Some 40% percent of ASEAN's population is below 20 years of age and it is for them that ASEAN is being built. Our goal must be to imbue in all of them, regardless of the country they come from a greater sense of ASEAN citizenship.
About 65 students have participated in an essay-writing competition this year, sharing their thoughts and ideas on ASEAN. They are very good. The National Youth Achievement Award Council has put on display winning entries of the ASEAN Young Photographers Award. These young photographers have captured the "Sporting Spirit of ASEAN", which is timely with the first Youth Olympic Games about to begin in Singapore.
I wish everyone here a Happy ASEAN Day! This year, to encourage the singing of the ASEAN Anthem, we will have it karaoke-style. Do join in.
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