ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY MR ABDULLAH TARMUGI

SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT, SINGAPORE

HOST COUNTRY FOR 18^th APPF ANNUAL MEETING

Your Excellency Mr Thongsing Thammavong

Distinguished colleagues

Ladies and Gentleman

1       We have had a fruitful and enjoyable Annual Meeting. APPF has always been a useful forum for parliamentarians from the Asia Pacific countries to come together and discuss a wide spectrum of current issues. I am certainly speaking for everyone here to say that our gathering here this year has been a great success.

2       APPF continues to serve as an important key platform to promote regional cooperation and understanding between countries in the Asia-Pacific and has grown from strength to strength from the initial 15 member countries. More importantly, warm and heartfelt camaraderie was formed or renewed as we discussed experiences and exchanged ideas. These discussions and exchanges will go a long way to help us understand each other better and to look at things from both a national and global perspective, bearing in mind that we live in a globalised world today and a single ripple in any country could have colossal repercussions as experienced in the recent Global Financial Crisis.

3       I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest appreciation to our host, His Excellency, Mr Thongsing Thammavong, for the excellent arrangements for this Annual Meeting and the kind and generous hospitality accorded to everyone attending this meeting. With your skilful presidency, this meeting has proceeded smoothly and efficiently.

4       I also like to thank our APPF Honorary President, the APPF-17 Secretariat and the Executive Committee for all their assistance, support and guidance extended to this meeting. Thank you for the hard work put in to ensure the smooth running of this meeting!

5       It is with great honor that we accept the APPF Presidency for the coming year and we hope to receive your continued support for APPF as you have all these years. We look forward to welcome all of you to Singapore when we host the 18th APPF Annual Meeting from 17th to 23rd January 2010. We have a short video presentation on Singapore shortly. Hope you will enjoy it. Till we meet again in Singapore, I wish you good health, happiness and a safe journey home!