열린장관실

Remarks
by H.E. Yun Byung-se
Minister of Foreign Affairs

12th ASEM FMM (2nd Session)
November 5, 2015

Madam Chair,
Fellow Ministers,

Good afternoon. As we are gearing up for the 20th anniversary of the ASEM summit next year, now seems to be the right time for us to reflect upon where ASEM stands, and map out our roadmap for the next decade.

Over a century ago, Rudyard Kipling, a British writer,wrote that, “East is East and West is West, and never the two shall meet.”However, if he could time travel to 2015, he would see a world where not only have East and West met, but are becoming more intricatelylinked and intertwined with each other. Indeed, we can take pride in what ASEM has achieved over the past two decades. ASEM has established itself as a leading inter-regional platform to promote cooperation and connections between our two continents.

So, perhaps it is no wonder that ASEM has expanded so quickly in such a short period of time, from the initial 26 members to 53 today. This owes a lot to the broad and flexible platform ASEM offers to its members. ASEM’s three pillars – political, economic and socio-cultural –have allowed us to tackle a more comprehensive and multidimensional agenda.

However, ASEM’s successes should not blind us to the shortcomings that are being widely shared: The lack of priorities and the on-going search for a niche; the relatively low visibility; the paucity of landmark achievements; and the quest for more policy relevance in a world of complex political and socio-economic challenges.

On the eve of ASEM at 20, let me highlight three points to fill these gaps and steer its future direction.

First, we need to continue to broaden and deepen both hard and softconnectivityin our pursuit of enhancing connectivity between Asia and Europe.

In the case of hard connectivity, most of the work is being done at the national and regional levels. A case in point is Korea’srecent Eurasia Friendship Express, from Seoul to Berlin in 20 days. This project demonstrated that the vision of building an intercontinental logistics network in Eurasia is doable.

What ASEM can do at the inter-regional level is to link these different efforts together. For instance, ASEM could consider an inventory system that records and regularly upgrades these efforts. This would highlight potentials for further connectivity, by inspiring governments and businesses for investment. It could also think about holding a “connectivity forum,” a matter which could be discussed at the 4th ASEM transportation ministers’ meeting in 2017.

In terms of soft connectivity, fostering cultural and educational links across the continents is crucial. Korea is often cited as amodel case of “development through education,” and indeed, education is a special focus, as exemplified by the World Education Forum held in Korea last May. At the ASEM level, we look forward to hosting the 6th ASEM education ministers’ meeting in 2017.

Second, ASEM should revitalize its role in strengthening economic cooperation between the continents and reaffirm its commitment to sustainable development.

The state of the global economy is a pressing concern, and many countries are turning their eyes to innovation to spur growth. Many ASEM members are innovation powerhouses, andin fact, in this year’s Global Innovation Index, 15 of the top 20 are in ASEM. We can foster a virtuous cycle of promoting innovation and reinforcing inter-regional cooperation, and thereby turn both regions into locomotives for global growth.

Already, ASEM’s small and medium-sized enterprises Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC) is leading the way by building an eco-friendly innovation technology database and a matching platform, to be completed by the end of this year.

Furthermore, we are recently witnessing a surge in mega-FTAs, such as the TPP as well as the TTIP. As the EU’s recent “Trade for All” reportdemonstrates, the ideas of connecting our continents this way are already being sowed.So, it is important to revitalize ASEM’seconomic pillar. In this regard, Korea and China have proposed the revival of the Senior Officials’ Meeting on Trade and Investment (SOMTI).

ASEM can also prioritize its contributions in furthering the recently adopted SDGs. ASEM can be a key vehicle in implementing the SDGs, and this will boost ASEM’s profile as a provider of public goods.
Third, by enhancing dialogue on common challenges, ASEM can help us to overcome the security gap between Asia and Europe.

Recently, Europe is witnessing an exodus of Syrian refugees, whereas Southeast Asia is grappling with the plight of maritime refugees. And transnational non-traditional security issues such as climate change, epidemics, terrorism and violent extremism concern us all. This shows that our two regions not only face the same set of global issues, but also a number of the regional security challenges are mirror images too.

So, it is crucial that ASEM play a leading role to address key international and regional security issues. This will have the added benefit of making ASEM also relevant in formulating policy and promoting human dignity. In this regard, as we mark 20 years of ASEM, we could consider an ASEM-UN Dialogue on the common global challenges at the margins of the General Assembly next year.

In closing, as we prepare for ASEM’s third decade, let me assure you that the Republic of Korea is, and will remain, an active and reliable partner for a new era for Asia and Europe. Thank you. /끝/