VERBATIM TEXT

OPENING REMARKS BY

THE HONOURABLE DATO’ SERI ANWAR BIN IBRAHIM

PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA

AT THE

15TH ASEAN – UNITED NATIONS (UN) SUMMIT

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

1. Excellency Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations. Welcome to the 15th ASEAN – United Nations Summit.

2. But before that, can I express how glad we are? Not only due to your presence, but your voice of conscience, your courage and being very consistent and coherent in defending the entire spirit of multilateral arrangements and defending freedom and respecting rights of countries of minorities.

3. And I think, certainly, I think we must say that it’s a challenge, but we admire your tenacity and your courage, including some very, what I said earlier about intractable cases like Gaza, the atrocities committed and you have been, you know, very consistent, the voice of reason and the voice of conscience. So, thank you very much.

4. And I would begin, of course, by inviting you, Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, to deliver your opening remarks.