MFA Press Statement: Visit by Senior Minister State for Foreign Affairs Zainul Abidin Rasheed to Bangkok, Thailand, for the Third Asia-Middle East Dialogue Ministerial Meeting from 14 to 16 December 2010

Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Zainul Abidin Rasheed attended the Third Asia-Middle East Dialogue Ministerial Meeting (AMED III) at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok, Thailand, from 15 to 16 December 2010. The opening ceremony was officiated by Thailand's Prime Minister, His Excellency Abhisit Vejjajiva. The Thai Prime Minister highlighted the benefits of greater cooperation between Asian and Middle Eastern countries, particularly through more trade and investment linkages even as people-to-people exchanges had increased.

SMS Zainul participated in the panel discussion on "Countering Terrorism" and highlighted the need for more sharing of information and knowledge through the AMED process to combat extremism and distortion of religious teaching.

SMS Zainul delivered the keynote address (full text of speech is at Annex) at the Plenary Session on Social, Educational, Scientific, Cultural, Environmental and Media issues. In his address, he noted the historical linkages between Asia and the Middle East and praised AMED as a partnership that enabled both regions to rediscover this linkage.

Yesterday, SMS Zainul had a meeting with Thailand's Islamic spiritual leader the Chula Ratchamontri during which they discussed subjects of mutual interest.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
16 DECEMBER 2010
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ANNEX

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZAINUL ABIDIN RASHEED AT THE THIRD ASIA-MIDDLE EAST DIALOGUE MINISTERIAL MEETING, 16 DECEMBER 2010, BANGKOK, THAILAND

Excellencies

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am delighted to be here today as one of the keynote speakers for the plenary session on Social, Educational, Scientific, Cultural, Environmental and Media issues, together with my distinguished colleague from Korea, Mr Choi Seung Hoh. Allow me first, on behalf of the Singapore delegation, to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to His Excellency, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, khun Kasit, the Government of Thailand and the outstanding officers of the Thai Foreign Service for the warm hospitality and impeccable arrangements made for this meeting.

The Third Asia-Middle East Dialogue, or AMED III as we call it, is a landmark arrangement to bring officials and non-government personnel representing the academia and the private sectors from the Middle East and Asia closer together and to help us better understand each other's regions. The AMED process is not only a learning journey to discover our past links but also a framework to strengthen our ties as we move into the future. The lively and candid discussions we had at the two earlier plenaries on political, security and economic issues reflect our desire to better understand each other, how the two regions can work together for the benefit of the people of both regions and the common challenges in this new, complex and unpredictable international environment.

All of you are aware of the past relationship Asia and the Middle East share. For centuries, the ancient Silk Road was the communication and trade link between our regions. The religion of Islam spread from the Middle East to Southeast Asia via India. The Jews, too, had an ancient presence on the Malabar Coast of India. When in Cochin last March, to witness the arrival of the Jewel of Muscat sailing from Oman to Singapore, I visited the historic synagogue there. It is on this same coast where you can still find a small but flourishing Syrian Christian community. Not forgetting too the Chinese influence there: I was told that the Chinese Muslim admiral, Zheng He/ Cheng Ho, visited Cochin, leaving behind the unique fishing nets still in use today, before sailing to the Arabian peninsular and Africa. And, I believe, we are also all aware of India's role as a conduit for the spread and propagation of Buddhism into East and Southeast Asia and parts of Central Asia. I believe Emperor Ashoka had even sent Buddhist emissaries to Syria in 200 BC. One wonders what these Buddhist emissaries would have made of the ancient but thriving civilisation they encountered there.

Asia-Middle East engagement goes beyond the socio-religious realm. It also permeates the prism through which we communicate, view and construct our world. A Tamil speaker could have a refreshing glass of naram or orange juice for breakfast every morning. The word 'naram' might seem like an entirely alien word to my Arabic-speaking listeners. But if you go back to the roots of the word 'orange', you would be pleasantly surprised to learn that the Arabic 'naranj' or the Persian 'narang' originated from the Sanskrit word 'narangah', which in turn is derived from the Dravidian languages of south India. Let me give you another example: the Thai word for foreigners, 'farang', originated from the Persian word 'farangi', which is in turn taken from the Arabic word 'firinjia'. Let me give you a final example. My mother tongue, which is Malay or Bahasa Melayu, comprises many Arabic loan words which have gained currency in our language. The Arabic word for book or 'kitab', is not only used in Malay, but also in Turkish, Persian, Urdu, Hindi and Nepali. In fact, the word 'Bahasa', meaning language, is in itself derived from Persian.

I am telling you this to illustrate the threads that bind us AMED member countries. Indeed, following the visit to Cochin, I connected with Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who was on an official visit to New Delhi. Some of you might recall that SM Goh started the re-engagement of Singapore with the Middle East and North African Maghreb States at the turn of the century. In New Delhi, I was introduced by fellow Senior Minister of State S. Iswaran, to a famous bookshop called Bahri & Sons at the Khan Market. The first books I set my eyes on in that shop were the several volumes of "Castes and Tribes of Southern India". Opening the first page of the volume in my hand, I saw a write-up on the Maraikayars, a large number of whom had migrated to Southeast Asia in the early 20th century. These Maraikayars or Maricars are believed to have mixed ancestors, including from among the Arabs. I bought the whole set of seven volumes and have presented them to President S. R. Nathan, as a gift for the Indian Heritage Centre being established in Singapore.

So the re-engagement of Asia and Middle East is not new. Rather, it is a re-encounter and re-discovery of old friends. I recall my Minister George Yeo's remarks at AMED II in Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt, that countries and regions which once belonged to different European empires are now re-discovering one another. That was two years ago. We have since stepped up mutual dialogue and engagement, as evidenced by the raft of AMED initiatives organised since our last gathering in Sharm el Sheikh. The two AMED Regional Training Centres in Jordan and Qatar have succeeded in transmitting knowledge and know-how to participants from various AMED member countries. The Centres' role as a transmitter of knowledge does not stop there - rather, they are also enablers for Asia-Middle East integration binding us closer together. In fact, the Japan International Co-operation Agency, or JICA, is looking to co-operate with these two training centres as platforms for the provision of technical assistance to Palestine. Singapore welcomes JICA's initiative. We assure you that these two centres will also continue to conduct courses on a regular basis. These are simple but practicable initiatives which bring immediate benefits to the people of both regions.

Singapore will continue to play its part in the AMED process. I am pleased to announce that we intend to organise two new vocational courses in Jordan and two training courses on public governance and urban solutions in Qatar just for AMED members in the first quarter of next year. We will also be organising a Workshop for Financial Supervisors especially for AMED members, sometime in February 2011. Our Middle East Institute will also be organising an academic roundtable bringing together the best scholarly minds from Asia and the Middle East to exchange views on recent developments in our regions. For too long, we have depended on the work of Western scholars to understand one another. While their literature has enhanced our understanding of each other, the Western perspective is coloured by its value system and world view. It will be better if we can look at ourselves through our own lenses, and for our scholars to establish direct links with one another.

The Middle East today has become a bonanza for Asian companies. Billions of dollars are being spent on infrastructure development creating an unprecedented construction boom. Some of the most remarkable infrastructure development projects are in the process of being built from the sands of the Gulf. In all sectors and professions, Asians are intimately involved in all kinds of transformational and transactional projects. In fact, I am proud to say that my own son is involved in a project in Saudi Arabia's King Fahd Airport in Dammam.

The Middle East has become increasingly important to the Singapore economy. Since 2006, Singapore's trade with the Middle East rose by 8 per cent to reach some S$43 billion in October 2010. The GCC-Singapore Free Trade Agreement will give bilateral trade a further shot in the arm when it comes into force, hopefully in the near future. Beyond that, a Free Trade Agreement between ASEAN and the GCC is within the realm of possibilities. These are steps that would slowly but surely work towards bringing us closer together.

I have always considered myself a privileged and seasoned Middle East visitor. Perhaps not in the dashing mould of Lawrence of Arabia but, still, a dashing visitor I hope, because I have been dashing around the Middle East in the past two months alone. In October, I made official visits to Libya, Oman, the UAE and Morocco. I went home feeling awed and inspired --- awed by the booming developments in Libya, as evidenced by new hotels springing up over Tripoli; and inspired because the ancient heritage in Libya is coming alive for well-discerning travellers. This is indeed very different from the days when I was in Tripoli in 1973, as a student leader attending the International Youth Conference à la the Green Book. I was also enchanted by the old-world charms of Marrakech, when I was there to attend the World Economic Forum. The intricate Islamic art in the mosques was truly an amazing experience. I was impressed by how quickly Dubai has picked itself up from the global financial crisis, and is now in the process of recovery. And I admired Oman, for its determination to preserve its traditions and culture while embracing the changes necessary to meet the challenges of the future. I have been to Oman four times this year, practically connected and charmed by the Jewel of Muscat and the warm Omani people. And not long after that, I also visited Bahrain as part of my President's State Visit in November. The strength of the 4,000 year old Dilmun civilisation still looms large in the pride and psyche of the Bahrainis.

Since its inception in 2005, AMED has become a partnership for Asia and the Middle East working together to overcome cross-boundary challenges like climate change, religious extremism, international terrorism, maritime security and transnational problems. These are issues that need to be tackled in unison. In an increasingly interconnected world, AMED can be a highway linking one hamlet with another village. Your presence at AMED III reflects the commitment of countries of both regions to rediscover and reconnect with each other. I hope you will find the subsequent panel discussions on the social, cultural and educational dimensions of AMED cooperation to be illuminating, insightful and instructive.

Allow me, Ladies and Gentlemen, Ya Asdiqa'i (my friends), to conclude by calling on you to do your part to reconnect and rediscover ourselves in ways new and old to bring about that gem in our relations. Yes, all that glitters is not gold but the new knowledge and opportunities that await our connectivity are bound to make the difference for our future. That leaves me to just reiterate my sincerest appreciation to the moderators and panellists of the panel discussions for sharing their knowledge with us. I look forward to a meaningful exchange of views and opinions.

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