“COMMEMORATING ASEAN Day is an opportunity for us to reflect on the achievements of our association as well as a chance for us to celebrate how much our region and its people have grown over the past 51 years,” said His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam in the monarch’s ASEAN Day message 2018.
The message: “Throughout during this period, ASEAN has experienced significant economic progress and technological advancements as well as growing support from external partners for ASEAN’s community-building process.
Our region has benefitted from these developments through improvements to our education and health systems as well as the expansion of infrastructures that have raised the living standards for our people.
Nevertheless, developmental challenges to the region still remain and coupled with other issues of the 21st Century such as disruptive technology, climate change and the threat from terrorism and violent extremism, require the collective efforts of countries to overcome.
In this regard, ASEAN continues to provide a platform for its member states and partners to cooperate and work with each other to achieve common goals.
With the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, we are committed to realising a region that is politically cohesive, economically integrated and socially responsible for its people.
This involves a broad range of cooperation including addressing cybersecurity, promoting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), protecting the natural environment and developing our youth for the future.
At the same time, ASEAN will continue to enhance cooperation with its regional and international partners to ensure peace, security and prosperity in Southeast Asia and the wider region.
We fully support Singapore and their work as ASEAN Chairman in 2018 under their theme ‘Resilient and Innovative ASEAN’. Brunei Darussalam will continue working with Singapore as well as with other ASEAN members and regional partners in achieving our common goals for the benefit of all its people.
My best wishes for a very happy ASEAN Day and our continued hope for a bright future for ASEAN and its people.”