We are gathering here today at a crucial time in the history of our region. It is time fraught with great dangers but also bright opportunities for all the peoples of Asia. It is our duty and responsibility as political leaders to accept the difficulties and challenges and work together to exploit the possibilities and opportunities for the benefit of our peoples and countries. In the area of regional security, we all face the same threat of international terrorism, therefore, regardless of our party affiliation and political belief, we must unite and cooperate to combat and eradicate this threat in order to ensure social and political stability for the sustainable economic development of our countries.

My party, FUNCINPEC, actively works with our partner, the Cambodia People’s Party, in the coalition government to address this issue and also is involved in a number of fora and organizations that focus on this problem and its solution.

One of the main goals of any responsible political party is to promote economic growth and social progress for our individual countries and the region as a whole. We may differ as to how we should go about achieving this, but I believe we all agree that the prosperity of our peoples is paramount in our plans and policies. This goal can only be achieved through a proper balance between national policies and cooperative ventures on a regional basis. We need to expand existing cooperative ventures, develop new initiatives, ensure steady growth and sustainable development throughout the region, and join hands in meeting the challenges posed by the new order of political economy now facing us.

This sustainable socio-economic development is very important at a time when the process of globalization threatens to undermine some of the economic foundations and fabrics of our countries. Globalization threatens to drive a wedge between the so-called developed and developing world, to the detriment of the latter. As Asians we must cooperate to reduce this danger while at the same time engage the developed nations in constructive dialogue for the mutual benefit of all concerned.

While globalization is a major challenge, it is also a great catalyst for us to accelerate the pace of reforms and integrations to improve the well-being of our peoples. We have enormous natural resources, disciplined work forces, solid educational systems and cultural traditions that make us good competitors and reliable partners in this competitive world. Our countries can be successful if we have policies, visions, and commitments that serve and benefit the majority of our peoples.

The third theme is a political party building and national political development. This theme, too, is inextricably connected to the other two. Political parties are essential links between civil society and government, between the mass public and those who have been entrusted with the task of political rule. It is political parties that must lead the process of economic development, political socialization and nation-building; it is political parties that help develop a political culture that respects the individual while accepting the interests of groups and group diversity — a culture that matches freedom with social and political responsibility. Since political parties are tasked with exercising power internally and the protection of the state and the nation externally, we also have an obligation to enhance national and Asian civilization and further cooperation between states and political parties in the region. Now our three pronged challenges and tasks are clear to us: We must ensure national and regional security so that socio-economic and political development can take place to the benefit of all of our peoples, and these tasks can only be undertaken by political parties. We have exciting and crucial days ahead of us as we discuss these three interlocking themes. And when we return to our respective countries, we must seek to implement these tasks, based on the collective wisdom that will surely emanate from this august gathering.