蘇更•拉哈爾佐

**蘇更•拉哈爾佐 印尼駐華大使

Soegeng Rahardjo**

Indonesian Ambassador to China

**Excellencies,

Distinguishedguests,

Ladiesandgentlemen,**

Attheoutset,Iwouldliketoextendmyheartfeltappreciationtotheorganizersofthisinternationalseminar,forinvitingmetosharemyviewsonthedevelopmentofASEANanditsroleinpromotingpeace,mutualprosperity,andclosercooperationintheAsia-Pacificregion.

Indeed,Ibelievethattheorganizingofthisseminaristimely,asASEANlookstobecomefurtherintegratedthroughtheASEANEconomicCommunityin2015.Withthisprogress,ourhopeisthatASEANwillalsostrengthenitscapacitytoengagetheotherinfluentialplayersintheregion,includingChina.

Ihopethatthroughthisseminar,wewillbeabletodiscussthemanyfacetsofASEAN'sintegrationprocess,anditsroleincreatingbalance,andgeneratingmutuallybeneficialcooperationforeachcountryintheAsia-Pacific.

Ladiesandgentlemen,

Formuchofthe1960s,SoutheastAsiawasahotbedoftensions.Manycountriesfacedinternalstrife,whereexternalpowerscontinuouslymeddledindomesticpolitics.TheColdWarhaddividedSoutheastAsiancountriesintorivalingsides,plungingalmosttheentiresubregionintothestrifeofproxywars.

However,throughhardworkandcommitment,wehavechangedoursituation.Onebyone,theconflictsthatburdeneduswereresolvedorputundercontrol.Onebyone,weovercameterritorialdisputes,andputforwardcooperationprojects.

In1967,ASEANwasestablishedby5memberstates.Soon,ASEAN5becameASEAN6,andthenASEAN10.Today,weareanASEANCommunity;acaringandsharingcommunity.

ASEANhasbecomeamodel,notonlyforpositiveregionalism,butalsoforitseffortsindealingwithstrategictensions.Wehavegonealongwaysincethe1960s,andthroughthisperiod,wehavetransformedinterstaterelations.Wehavealsotransformedrelationsamongemergingandmajorpowers,thusturningSoutheastAsiaintostablesub-region,highlightedbyacontinuouslyexpandinganddeepeningcooperation.

InadditiontoenhancingintegrationamongtheASEANmembercountries,wearealsoseeingmaturingcooperationbetweenASEANanditsmanyDialoguePartners,includingChina.TheASEANChinarelationshiphasgrownintoamorestrategicandcomprehensivepartnership,basedonmutualinterest,mutualrespect,andmutualbenefit.

Thereremainsmuchroomforfurthergrowth,butthereisimmenseconfidenceinthecapacityoftheASEAN-Chinapartnershiptogeneratemutuallybeneficialgains.

Ladiesandgentlemen,

The21stCenturyisoftenlabeledastheAsianCentury.TheeconomicachievementsofmanyAsiancountrieshavecapturedtheimaginationoftheworld.Astheengineofglobalgrowth,itisnotfar-fetchedtoclaimthattheAsia-Pacificisturningintotheaxisonwhichtheworldrevolves.

Nevertheless,wemustnotbecomplacent.Weshouldtaketargetedmeasurestosupporteconomicgrowth,stabilityandresilienceintheAsiaPacific.Wemustalsotakedecisiveactionstoreinforceconfidenceandstrengthentheregion'sgrowthpotential.Inthisregard,countriesmustbeabletoanticipateandwithstandanyeconomicturbulence,andbecomeamoreresilientregion.

WemustalsorecognizethattheAsiaPacificremainshometosomeoftheworld'smostdangeroussecurityhotspots.Manyofourpastchallengesarerecurring.Atthesametime,wefacenewsecuritythreats,includingnontraditionalsecurityissuesliketerrorismandorganizedcrime.Ifthesesecuritychallengesareleftunattended,theycouldjeopardizethepeaceandstabilitytowhichwehavegrownaccustomed.

ASEAN’sexperiencedemonstratesthatthemanagementofstrategictensionsrequiresachangeinthestrategicmindset.Eachcountryintheregionmustprioritizedialogueandconsultationineffortstomanagepotentialconflicts.Wemustensurethattheongoingpowershifts-bothatglobalandregionallevels–willnotleadtorisingtensions,butanewgeopoliticsofcooperation.

ASEANcountriescontinuouslyreaffirmourmutualcommitmenttothenormsthatbindustogether.Here,themostimportant,inmyview,istheTreatyofAmityandCooperation(TAC),towhichmanyofthecountriesintheAsiaPacificaresignatories.Andin2011,theEastAsiaSummitadoptedtheBaliPrinciplesonMutuallyBeneficialCooperation,whichcontainclearprinciplesandnormsonhowtomanageregionalaffairs.

BothoftheTACandtheBaliPrinciplesareactivelivingdocuments.Ifallthesignatoriesthinkandactconsistentwiththespiritofbothdocuments,thenwewouldberewardedwithamuchmorestableandpredictableorderinourregion.

Ladiesandgentlemen,

Promotingregionalpeace,securityandstabilityhasbeenacoreinterestofASEAN.Ourapproachtowardsmanagingconflictsisbasedondialogueandconsultation,inplaceofposturingandconfrontation.Itconsidersmutualrespectandmutualunderstandingasvitaltothepeaceandstabilityoftheregionandtothefutureoftheassociationitself.

InSoutheastAsia,whatwearetryingtoachieveisstrongregionalism,drivenbyacommitmenttothecommonvisionofanASEANcommunity.Withoutadoubt,oureffortisaworkinprogress.ButtheASEANmembercountriesareconfidentinthepositivetrajectoryofourcommunitybuildingprocess.

Overthedecades,ASEANhassuccessfullybuiltandconsolidatedpeaceandsecurityinSoutheastAsia.Throughthepromotionofacultureofpeace,ASEANhasnowtransformeditselfintoacaringandsharingcommunity.Arguably,thelargerAsiaPacificregioncanalsobenefitfromhavingacultureofpeace.

TherearealreadyvariousplatformsforcooperationintheAsiaPacific.Yet,itisimportantthattheyaremaximizedforthepurposeofconfidencebuilding,insteadofbecomingastageforrivalryandcompetition.Thesecooperationplatformsshouldalsobeaimedprovidingamechanismforresolvingterritorialdisputes,oratleast,managingthepotentialconflictsthatemanatefromsuchdisputes.

WhileasenseofcommunitymaynotexistyetinthelargerAsiaPacificregion,thisshouldnotdeteranyinitiativetopromoteone.Asenseofcommunity,likepeace,doesnotmaterializeoutofthinair.Communitybuilding,peaceandstabilityneedcommitment,perseverance,andhardwork.Thechoiceisourstomake.ButIbelievethatthisisdemandedofusintheregion,ifwewanttomakethe21stCenturytrulybecometheAsianCentury.

Thankyou.