Message of Ambassador H.E. Ambassador Luk Darras
Message of Ambassador H.E. Ambassador Luk Darras
Each year King's Day, which Belgium celebrates on the 15th
November, gives us the occasion to stand still for a moment to
reflect and to focus on the relations between Belgium and
Indonesia.
This year Belgium having the presidency of the European Union
from the 1st July until the 31st December, at a crucial time of
the European unification, places this message in a much larger
context.
On the other hand, the recent shocking events of Sept. 11 in
the U.S., will, in their own perverse manner, also leave their
mark in ways still unpredictable and for a long time to come.
History and humanity shocked in their deepest fibers.
Belgium, at the center of an area with one of the most rapid
growth rates of the whole European Union, has an outstanding
infrastructure, linking it with all modern communication systems
and located at the heart of Europe, at the cross-roads of its
various cultures.
A high level of productivity, political and social stability,
which are the hallmarks of the Belgian society, form the basis of
its qualitative economic and human prosperity.
Moreover, our country enjoys the status of an international
metropolis: Brussels, the Belgian capital city, is not only
Europe's political center, but also the seat of many
international organizations and companies.
The large presence of foreign embassies, representations and
correspondents of foreign media in Brussels demonstrates that
Belgium is indeed an international forum.
The Belgian knowledge-based economy is characterized by its
opening onto the world, the dynamism of its entrepreneurs, the
high level of training of its workforce and the inventiveness of
its researchers.
The combination of these factors explains why Belgium -
characterized mainly by small and medium enterprises - as
exporter, takes the 11th position in the world as trading power,
and the 10th position as importer.
As a trading nation, Belgium exports of goods and services
amount to about 70 percent of the GDP, exporting every day about
US$700 million.
Furthermore, our investments abroad and the foreign
investments in Belgium continue to gain importance, since trade,
in the current context of mondialization is inextricably bound to
investments.
Surprisingly, in 1999 Belgium attracted $120 billion in
investments, which made it the second largest recipient country
in the world, after the U.S., while Belgium was the second
investor worldwide, after the U.K., with $122 billion.
Notwithstanding the Asian crisis, many Belgian companies kept
expanding and investing in Indonesia, looking at the long-term
picture. Being ranked number five in the UNDP-Human Development
Report shows the dynamics at work, not only in the economic, but
also in the social development and quality of life perspectives.
In times when globalization is often a strong recurring topic,
our Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt pleaded recently for a global
ethical approach to the environment, labor relations and monetary
policy. He defined this as "ethical globalization, a triangle
consisting of free trade, knowledge and democracy, alternatively
trade, aid and conflict prevention".
He further proposed to "replace the G-8 of the rich countries
by a G-8 of existing regional partnerships. A G-8 where the South
is given an important and deserved place at the table, to ensure
that the globalization of the economy is headed in the right
direction, as a place where binding agreements on global ethical
standards, on working conditions, intellectual property and good
governance can be entered into. In other words, the creation of a
forum where the leading continental partnerships can all speak on
an equal footing: the European Union, ASEAN, the African Union,
Mercossur, the North American Free Trade Agreement, etc."
Finally, in the framework of the European Union's presidency,
Belgium is proposing an ambitious reflection exercise, which will
result in December this year in the Declaration of
Laken/Brussels, concerning a far reaching quality-oriented reform
of the European Union's constitutional and structural make-up.
This in function of the enlargement process of the European
Union, which is in full swing. Thirteen new countries, mainly in
Eastern and Central Europe, are planning to join the existing 15
European Union members in the coming years. From a historical
viewpoint, creating a stronger, wider and more stable Europe of
500 million citizens, the achievement of enlargement touches the
very soul of the European Union. It is about sharing common
values, such as political democracy, respect for human rights,
social support of the weak, protection of minorities, market
economy and peaceful coexistence within the rule of law. Through
this process, the geographical, political and cultural identity
of Europe is resumed. Civilization can be measured by the degree
of diversity attained and the degree of unity retained.
As an important democratic partner for Belgium and the
European Union, Indonesia's transition, as a re-emerging player
in the security and stability of the region, gives us the
strength to propose a new political partnership with Indonesia,
which would also support the anchoring of democracy and would
involve the promotion of constructive international relations.
The whole idea is, in the whirlwind of changing complexities
in the world, to build coherent, interlinked creative new
transitions, beneficial to all.
As last year, I would like to appeal for a more caring
capacity in international relations, which acknowledges that
humans, communities and nations are not isolated, but are
interdependent, flexible and ready to commit themselves. A
greater degree of worldwide co-operation is essential to deal
with the serious and interlocking issues that face the whole
human race. The undeniable trend is towards a more inclusive
sense of solidarity.
In order to meet these requirements of sustainable quality
however, the evolution towards planetary consciousness must
accommodate also cultural diversity, generosity and tolerance.
The values of modern, open, high-trust societies are :
universalism, open debate, conjectures judged by evidence and
pursuit of continual improvement. We need to show how societies
can combine innovation and inclusion, knowledge capital and
social capital, to generate lasting value for all.
True accomplishment in mutual relations is not about winning,
acquiring or being on top. It is about sharing, giving and
including.