On 4 September 2017, H.E. Mr. Ong Keng Yong, former Secretary-General of ASEAN was invited to make a special lecture on “ASEAN in the Next 50 Years”. This is one of the series of activities held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand in celebrating the 50th anniversary of ASEAN. Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, members of the diplomatic corps in Bangkok and representatives of academic institutions participated in the event. H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), H.E. Mr. Masataka Fujita, Secretary General of ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC), and H.E. Mr. Kim Young-sun, Secretary General of ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) also attended the lecture upon invitation.

H.E. Ambassador Pradap Pibulsonggram and Mr. Suriya Chindawongse, Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand respectively delivered welcoming remarks and introduced the lecturer. They said that ASEAN has made great achievements in the past 50 years and became the sixth largest economy in the world. With the rapid changing regional and global situation, ASEAN should uphold its centrality in the evolving regional architecture, and make even greater efforts to implement ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and think beyond to make more contributions to promoting regional peace and prosperity.

In the lecture, H.E. Mr. Ong Keng Yong reviewed the establishment and development of ASEAN and briefed on achievements of ASEAN community building. He said that ASEAN has made remarkable achievements, but also faces challenges. Against the backdrop of the emerging anti-globalization emotion and trade protectionism, ASEAN should take more practical measures to promote regional economic integration and focus on pushing forward the negotiation of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which would materialize higher level of free flow of trade. With the fourth industrial revolution and digital economy coming, ASEAN should attach greater importance to technological innovation and youth’s creativity, so as to realize sustainable and high-quality development and raise ASEAN’s position in global value chain.

H.E. Mr. Ong Keng Yong also mentioned that ASEAN community building is a long-term process. ASEAN Member States should seize the opportunity of 50th anniversary of ASEAN to continue to enhance internal coordination, forge closer relations with its Dialogue Partners and make efforts to turn the vision into concrete actions so as to build an open, inclusive and secure region.

After the lecture, H.E. Mr. Ong Keng Yong, H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, H.E. Mr. Masataka Fujita and H.E. Mr. Kim Young-sun paid a joint courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Virasakdi Futrakul, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.

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