On 6 August 2016, the Opening Ceremony of the 13th ASEAN Leadership Forum was held in Vientiane. H.E. Mr. Thongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister of Lao PDR, and H.E. Mr. Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia, as well as government officials of relevant countries, Ambassadors to the Lao PDR, and representatives of business and media totaling more than 300 people were present. The forum, with the theme of “ASEAN Community: Enhancing Opportunities and Shared Prosperity”, was co-hosted by the Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI), Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Lao PDR and the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry. H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), attended the forum on invitation.
Mr. Tan Sri Michael Yeoh, Chairman of the Forum and CEO of ASLI, addressed welcome remarks and expressed his wish that the forum could contribute wisdom to accomplishing the 2025 Vision of ASEAN Community. Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Mr. Gregory So was invited to deliver introductory remarks. He outlined the situation of cooperation between ASEAN and Hong Kong as well as Hong Kong’s role in deepening ASEAN-China cooperation. He spoke highly of the outcome of the First ASEAN-Hong Kong Consultation, and wished to continue to promote ASEAN-Hong Kong cooperation.
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith in his opening speech said that ASEAN was committed to being an international single market and manufacturing base which was competitive and developing in balance. ASEAN had to continue to enhance cooperation with dialogue partners and all countries of the world to promote inclusiveness and substantial growth. ASEAN members should enhance internal cooperation, and fully tap the potential to expand the market as well as improve the level of connectivity and economic structure to enhance the vitality of small and medium-sized enterprises. ASEAN members should promote technical utility and innovation and improve the capacity of workers. The Lao PDR would continue to coordinate with other countries and make unremitting efforts to establish a lively ASEAN Community.
Prime Minister Hun Sen made a speech introducing the achievements of Cambodia in national stability and prosperity. He said that with the establishment of ASEAN Community by the end of 2015, the ASEAN integration had sped up, and the status of ASEAN on the international stage would rise at the same time. To ensure the realization of 2025 Vision of ASEAN Community, ASEAN should work hard together to maintain regional stability so as to sustain economic development, and deepen cooperation with the world’s major economies while retaining flexibility of economic growth. ASEAN members should further promote facilitation of trade and investment, and eliminate the non-tax barriers to trade. Members should also attach more importance to connectivity and increase investment to facilitate exchange between countries as well as strengthen training of education and technology, and give full play to the positive effects of demographic dividend. We should promote conservation of environment and natural resources, and improve the regional natural disaster response mechanism. He said, under the background of international geopolitical evolution, ASEAN should enhance internal unity and promote economic integration, so that ASEAN could make more contributions to the prosperity of East Asia and the world.
ASEAN Leadership Forum (ALF), established in 2004, provided a platform for governments, business, academics and the public of ASEAN countries to exchange views on development trend and challenges faced by ASEAN. The 13th ALF presented ASEAN Lifetime Achievement Awards to Prime Minister Hun Sen, H.E. YAB Dato’Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, and H.E. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor of Myanmar, to commend their contributions to the development of their own countries and to the establishment of ASEAN Community.
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