SPECIAL FEATURE
President Benigno S. Aquino III’s Opening Statement
as Chairman of the 7th BIMP-EAGA Summit
Cendrawasih I, Jakarta Convention Center
Jakarta, Indonesia
8 May 2011
I now call this meeting to order.
It is a great honor for the Philippines to chair the 7th Summit of the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
ASEAN’s goal of economic integration and a more synergistic community by 2015 stands. We recognize BIMP-EAGA’s role in achieving that goal, and gather now to reaffirm our efforts and gains in promoting economic and social development, connectivity and shared prosperity in the sub-region.
There have been steady gains in ASEAN economic integration, as manifested by the operationalization of sub-regional economic cooperation such as BIMP-EAGA. For the past 17 years, BIMP-EAGA has served as a vital mechanism in the process of actualizing our collective vision as brother nations, and we are confident of its continued significance in such crucial initiatives as those in transport connectivity, and trade facilitation.
BIMP-EAGA has been positioning itself as a food production hub, as well as a premier ecotourism destination taking in account the richness of our biodiversity. In achieving these strategic thrusts, convergence and complementation of support across sectors and stakeholders will be very crucial. Our presence here, as leaders of BIMP-EAGA, is a concrete manifestation of our firm support for this subregional cooperation.
I look forward to an active and productive exchange among us leaders. Through dialogue based firmly in trust and collective responsibility, we will be able to move forward with the goals and objectives of BIMP-EAGA.
May I invite Minister Hatta Rajasa, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, as representative of BIMP-EAGA Ministers, to give the presentation on recent developments in BIMP-EAGA.
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