Your Royal Highnesses,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

May I take this opportunity to extend my sincere appreciation for the kind hospitality extended to me and my delegation by the Government and people of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. I also would like to congratulate H.E. Mr. Nguyen Manh Cam, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, for all the careful and excellent arrangements in hosting this very important ceremony, marking another milestone for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

It is a great pleasure and privilege for me to be present at this ceremony, in the company of ASEAN friends and colleagues, to witness the formal admission of the Kingdom of Cambodia into ASEAN. Allow me to take this opportunity to extend, on behalf of the Government and people of the Kingdom of Thailand, our warmest welcome and sincere good wishes to the Government and people of the Kingdom of Cambodia on this historic occasion.

This is indeed one of those golden moments of ASEAN history. Not only is Cambodia taking her rightful place in the ASEAN family, but the world is also witnessing the culmination of a regional community encompassing all countries in Southeast Asia just before the turn of the century. Through our collective determination, we have made into a reality the vision of the Founding Fathers of the ASEAN, proclaimed in the Bangkok Declaration in 1967. That vision, if I am allowed to recall, is the vision of ASEAN as "the collective will of the nations of Southeast Asia to bind themselves together in friendship and cooperation and, through joint efforts and sacrifices, secure for their peoples and for posterity the blessings of peace, freedom and prosperity."

Your Royal Highnesses,
Excellencies,

At a time when the region is faced with formidable challenges, we in ASEAN, more than ever, need to pool all our wisdom and resources and work closely together towards our common aspirations. Cambodia's entry brings a renewed sense of hope and optimism. Through membership in ASEAN, she will become an integral part of the ASEAN economic region and help further advance the process of regional economic integration. We are confident that her active role in all areas of ASEAN cooperation will help enhance ASEAN's strength and solidarity.

Since ASEAN is a creation of our peoples'collective will, however, we must also not lose sight of their perceptions and opinions about what we are embarking upon today. If we survey the regional press over the last few days, including this morning, we find that opinions have ranged from one of outright jubilation to cautious optimism to guarded anxiety. It is therefore imperative that ASEAN, as an organization with an enlarged membership, must be able to sustain that optimism, soothe that anxiety, and prove to our peoples across the region as well as to observers from outside that we remain faithful to the aspirations of our Founding Fathers and are resolute in our determination to fulfill such aspirations together for the freedom and common prosperity of all our peoples.

As friend and immediate neighbour, sharing intimate historical, cultural and economic ties, Thailand firmly believes that the close relationship between Cambodia and Thailand will be further strengthened by the opportunities to join our efforts in pursuit of the aims and purposes of ASEAN. We look forward to working closely with Cambodia within the ASEAN framework for peace, stability, social progress and sustainable development in the region. As ASEAN steps into the next millennium, it rests upon us to realize our Leaders' Vision for the 21st Century of a socially cohesive and outward-looking ASEAN, bonded in partnership for dynamic development and freely interacting in a community of open and caring societies.

Once again, may I express our warmest welcome to the Kingdom of Cambodia and her people to the ASEAN family.

Thank you.