PGMA's Opening Statement during a Press Conference in Brunei Darussalam

GOOD EVENING.

UPON THE INVITATION OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN AND YANG DI PERTUAN OF
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM, I AM ON A STATE VISIT TO BRUNEI DARUSSALAM.

DURING THE VISIT, HIS MAJESTY CONFERRED ON ME THE TITLE OF THE MOST
ESTEEMED FAMILY ORDER LAILA UTAMA.

WE EMPHASIZED THE HISTORICALLY-CLOSE FRATERNAL TIES THAT HAVE EXISTED
BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS AND PEOPLES AND WHICH WAS FURTHER STRENGTHENED
WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS IN 1984, AND WE EXPRESSED
GENERAL SATISFACTION AT THE CURRENT STATE OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO
COUNTRIES IN THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIO-CULTURAL FIELDS.

WE AGREED TO STRENGTHEN FURTHER BILATERAL RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH ECONOMIC
COOPERATION.

OUR GOVERNMENTS WILL CONTINUE TO PROMOTE AND FACILITATE TRADE AND
INVESTMENTS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES SPECIFICALLY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF
THE BRUNEI DARUSSALAM-INDONESIA-MALAYSIA- PHILIPPINES EAST ASEAN GROWTH
AREA OR BIMP-EAGA.

WE ALSO AGREED TO SUSTAIN AND BUILD FURTHER ON THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENT FOR
COOPERATION.

TOWARDS THIS END, WE AGREED TO WORK TOWARDS THE CONCLUSION OF THE PROPOSED
AGREEMENT ON THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION AND THE PREVENTION OF FISCAL
EVASION WITH RESPECT TO INCOME WHICH IS CURRENTLY BEING NEGOTIATED.

IN REVIEWING THE STATE OF BILATERAL TRADE, WE RESOLVED TO INTENSIFY AND
ACHIEVE A MORE DYNAMIC TRADE RELATIONSHIP.

WE AGREED TO DIVERSIFY BOTH THE PRODUCT COVERAGE OF THEIR TRADE EXCHANGES
AND THE MANNER AND MEANS BY WHICH THESE ARE BEING UNDERTAKEN.

WE FULLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT SIGNIFICANT STRIDES HAVE BEEN MADE IN
MANY OTHER AREAS OF COOPERATION
AND THAT
THE GENERAL FRAMEWORK FOR COOPERATION IN THESE AREAS HAS BEEN CONCLUDED OR
IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING COMPLETED AND FINALIZED.

THIS BEING SO, WE HAVE SET OUT TO ACTIVELY PURSUE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
COOPERATIVE ARRANGEMENTS, IN THE ECONOMIC SECTORS INCLUDING AGRICULTURE,
FISHERIES, AIR SERVICES, TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS, ENERGY, TOURISM
AS WELL AS EDUCATION, DEFENSE AND SECURITY.

WE WELCOMED THE SIGNING OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON DEFENSE
COOPERATION AND UNDERTAKING ON THE RECOGNITION OF CERTIFICATES OF SEAFARERS
FOR SERVICE ON VESSELS REGISTERED IN BRUNEI, ENHANCING AN ALREADY VIBRANT
AND MEANINGFUL BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP.

WE AGREED THAT FUTURE COLLABORATION ACTIVITIES COULD ALSO BE MADE TO FOCUS
ON SUCH AREAS AS TRANSNATIONAL CRIMES, INCLUDING PIRACY, TRAFFICKING OF
WOMEN AND CHILDREN, DRUGS AND ARMS SMUGGLING, TERRORISM, AS WELL AS CYBER
CRIMES.

WE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY ALSO
PRESENTED AN AREA FOR POSSIBLE FUTURE COLLABORATION.

WE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE IS ROOM FOR EXPANDING AND DEEPENING BILATERAL
LINKAGES.

WE AGREED TO MAINTAIN HIGH LEVEL CONTACTS AND TO CONTINUE THE DIALOGUE AND
CONSULTATION PROCESS ON FUTURE AREAS OF COOPERATION.

IN THIS REGARD, WE AGREED TO CONVENE THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE
PHILIPPINE-BRUNEI DARUSSALAM JOINT COMMISSION FOR BILATERAL COOPERATION, SO
AS TO EMBARK ON COMPREHENSIVE AND INCISIVE REVIEW OF PAST AND PRESENT
COOPERATIVE ENDEAVORS, AND TO CHART THE COURSE THEY WILL TAKE IN THE
FUTURE.

WE AGREED THAT THIS JCBC, WHICH HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED TO SERVE AS THE
OVERARCHING FRAMEWORK FOR BILATERAL COOPERATION WOULD BE CONVENED BY 2002
WITH A VIEW TO ESTABLISHING A COMPREHENSIVE BILATERAL COOPERATION PROGRAMME
IN THE MEDIUM AND LONG-TERM.

WE HELD THE VIEW THAT DEEPER UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN OUR PEOPLES IS ALSO
THE KEY TO ENHANCING BILATERAL RELATIONS.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT FILIPINOS IN BRUNEI DARUSSALAM ARE MAKING VALUABLE
CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS OF BOTH COUNTRIES.

WE EXCHANGED VIEWS ON CURRENT AND SIGNIFICANT REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
ISSUES OF MUTUAL CONCERN. WE AFFIRMED OUR CONTINUING AND ABIDING
COMMITMENT TO THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF AN ASEAN AS LAID OUT IN THE 1967
BANGKOK DECLARATION, IN PARTICULAR, THAT OF PROMOTING REGIONAL COOPERATION IN
SOUTHEAST ASIA IN THE SPIRIT OF EQUALITY AND PARTNERSHIP, AND THEREBY,
HOPED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ATTAINMENT OF PEACE, PROGRESS, AND PROSPERITY IN
THE REGION.

I EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE BRUNEI GOVERNMENT IN MAKING
THE PHILIPPINES' LONG-STANDING QUEST FOR PEACE, STABILITY AND PROGRESS IN
SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES ALSO ITS AIM.

WE REITERATED OUR COMMITMENT TO THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE TARGETS SET OUT
UNDER THE ASEAN VISION 2020 IN THE HANOI PLAN OF ACTION.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE FORTHCOMING ASEAN SUMMIT IN BRUNEI DARUSSALAM IN
NOVEMBER 2001 WILL BE A TURNING POINT IN ASEAN'S HISTORY AS THE ASSOCIATION
WILL THEN BE UNDERTAKING A MID-TERM REVIEW OF THE HANOI PLAN OF ACTION AND
WILL BE CHARTING OUT THE PATH IT WILL BE TAKING IN THE FUTURE.

I EXPRESS CONFIDENCE IN BRUNEI DARUSSALAM'S ABILITY, AS THE CURRENT ASEAN
CHAIRMAN AND AS THE HOST OF THE FORTHCOMING ASEAN SUMMIT, TO STEER THE
PREPARATIONS FOR AND THE DISCUSSIONS DURING THE SUMMIT TO A SUCCESSFUL
CONCLUSION.

WE EMPHASIZED OUR COMMITMENT TO THE REINVIGORATION OF THE BIMP-EAGA, THE
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM-INDONESIA-MALAYSIA-EAST ASEAN GROWTH AREA, IN PURSUIT OF
REGIONAL INTEGRATION AND BALANCED REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO PURSUE MORE COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS WITHIN THE CONTEXT
OF BIMP-EAGA IN ORDER TO SPUR TRADE AND INVESTMENT ACTIVITY IN THE
SUB-REGION.

WE EXCHANGED VIEWS ON THE SOUTH CHINA SEA ISSUE AND REITERATED OUR
COMMITMENT TO SETTLE DISPUTES IN ACCORDANCE WITH RECOGNIZED PRINCIPLES OF
INTERNATIONAL LAW, THE 1992 ASEAN DECLARATION ON THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND
THE 1982 UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA.

WE AGREED FOR AN EARLY CONCLUSION OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT IN THE SOUTH CHINA
SEA.

SO THIS SUMMARIZES THE JOINT STATEMENT OF BOTH THE SULTAN OF BRUNEI AND
MYSELF ON MY VISIT HERE.

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