Remarks on Norway´s accession to the TAC

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Your Royal Highness, Ministers, Mr. Secretary General, ladies and gentlemen. 

I am honored to sign the ASEAN Instrument of Accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia in the presence of your excellences. 

I will also deposit the Norwegian instrument of accession to the TAC signed by His Majesty King Harald the fifth. 

Norway has been a longstanding supporter of ASEAN. 

We acknowledge your significant achievements and we welcome your bold ambitions. 

Norway is a political, trade and development partner of ASEAN’s member states. As an outward-looking trading nation, globally engaged in maritime issues, energy and climate, as well as a major investor, we have a significant presence in this part of the world. 

Multilateralism, respect for international law, peaceful settlement of disputes and the merits of economic cooperation are cornerstones of Norwegian foreign policy. 

Norway´s desire to accede to the TAC is thus a natural extension of both our longstanding engagement in the region and our approach to international cooperation. 

As the Arctic is opening up for increased activity, including transcontinental shipping, we are getting closer to each other. Just as we show interest in cooperating here, I warmly welcome the increasing interest shown by several Asian states in the challenges and opportunities of a changing Arctic. In May, five Asian states joined the Arctic Council as observers. 

Your Royal Highness, Excellences, 

In today’s interconnected world, regional organizations are proving their relevance. The building of norms and values, peaceful settlement of disputes and the promotion of economic integration are increasingly taking place at the regional level.

Hence, contact between as well as within regions is important in order to understand and influence the global agenda. 

Against this backdrop, and in the spirit of the TAC, Norway wishes to further our engagement with ASEAN.

 I am thus pleased to announce that Norway intends to establish a Norwegian ASEAN Regional Initiatives Fund (NARIF) with an initial amount of 7 million US dollars. 

This fund will complement our existing efforts in the region. It will support select cross-cutting activities of regional importance, in line with ASEAN’s Roadmaps. 

The details of this cooperation will be further developed in an ASEAN-Norway Joint Declaration on enhanced cooperation. 

In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to the ASEAN Chair, Your Royal Highness and Brunei Darussalam. I would also like to thank all ASEAN’s member states and the Secretary-General, for seeing this process through. The assistance and guidance provided is highly appreciated. 

We are honored to be able to follow ASEAN on its important journey ahead. 

Thank you for your attention.