19 February 2008 - His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, today delivered the Inaugural Southeast Asian Lecture entitled “A Southeast Asian Community: More Than A Matter of Geography” at the Grant Hyatt Hotel in Singapore. The lecture was by invitation of the Institute for South East Asian Studies and the Brunei Economic Development Board, co-organisers of the Brunei Forum.

Among those present were His Excellency George Yeo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, S. Dhanabalan, Chairman of Temasek Holdings, several overseas Ambassadors in Singapore and many leaders of regional business, commerce and trade, as well as members of the ISEAS.

In his lecture, His Royal Highness reflected on the past 40 years of ASEAN and the vision of its founding father, recalling his own experiences as an ASEAN Minister. His Royal Highness proposed that a major aim for the Association following the signing of the ASEAN Charter should be the formation of what is called “a real Southeast Asian Community”. This would give all regional citizens a true Southeast Asian identity and make the region far more that a piece of geography.

His Royal Highness, this evening will attend ASEAN Foreign Minister’s Welcoming Dinner in preparation for tomorrow’s Foreign Ministers’ Retreat.

[Please click Speech for the full text of the Inaugural Southeast Asian Lecture delivered by HRH Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Singapore on 19 February 2008].