Why do ECOWAS need to engage ASEAN?

PRESS STATEMENT

ASEAN Day Symposium: ‘Why do ECOWAS need to engage ASEAN?’ on August 15th, 2012 (Wednesday) at Malaysian High Commission, Accra

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a geo-political and economic organization of ten countries located in Southeast Asia, which was formed on 8th of August 1967, by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Viet Nam. Every year the ASEAN Day will be celebrated by all ASEAN countries and their people on the 8th of August. Starting from 2012 all ASEAN countries' diplomatic missions overseas shall be flying the ASEAN flag side-by-side with the respective country's national flag as a symbolic gesture of our determination to establish an ASEAN Community by 2015.

2. According to Article 1(13) of the ASEAN Charter, one of the purposes of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is to promote a people-oriented ASEAN in which all sectors of society are encouraged to participate in, and benefit from, the process of ASEAN integration and community building. Striving towards this purpose, the Malaysian High Commission in Accra, which is the only diplomatic residential mission from the ASEAN countries in Accra, together with some ASEAN citizens reside in Ghana, will organise an ASEAN Day Symposium (by special invitation only) with the title “Why ECOWAS need to engage ASEAN?” on this year's ASEAN Day on the 15th of August 2012 (Wednesday) at the Malaysian High Commission in Accra.

3. This first-ever and special event aims to establish a dialog platform between the ASEAN citizens in Ghana and the governments of ECOWAS countries as well as with their people. Officers in charge of ASEAN and ECOWAS countries from the Ghanaian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, diplomatic corps from the ECOWAS countries and a few special guests are invited to participate in the Symposium.

4. Historical, geographical and cultural similarities between both regions are the very basic starting points of mutual respect and cooperation. At the same time, acknowledgment of the diversity between and within the regions, including different social and economic systems and levels of development, will also be part of the discussion of the symposium. The potentials in both regions are enormous in terms of market size (600 million people in ASEAN and 300 million people in ECOWAS), high economic growth and abundant natural resources. These potentials would serve as a viable basis for enhanced cooperation between ASEAN and ECOWAS, especially in sectors such as engineering, telecommunications, agriculture, and infrastructure development. In addition, both regions could share experiences and best practices in the areas of mutual interests and benefits, such as community-building, inter-faith and inter-civilisation dialogue, energy security, tourism, climate change and trade and investment.

5. The Symposium emphasizes the importance of establishing the linkage towards strengthening trade and investment ties between the two regions in the future. and achieving full economic, cultural, social, and political cooperation as well as address global challenges facing both regions. An effort should be given to identify obstacles that hamper cooperation between the two regions and explore best practices and experiences that could foster closer cooperation. The Symposium will also try to identify a number of steps that would lead to:

• Identifying existing difficulties and challenges that are facing ASEAN and ECOWAS regions and identifying viable areas of cooperation and specific projects to address those challenges;

• Exploring innovative schemes and approaches to strengthen development cooperation between ASEAN and ECOWAS;

• Increasing regular interaction between the two regions by, among others, creating networks and focal points to exchange experiences and best practices;

• Jointly mobilizing resources and capacities to support efforts for closer cooperation; and

• Establishing and strengthening regular mechanisms for training, consultation, communication and sharing of information, experience and expertise among regions and sub-regions, as well as identifying and implementing of joint concrete projects and activities.

ASEAN Citizens in Ghana

c/o: Malaysian High Commission,

Accra, Ghana

13th of August 2012