Excellencies AMMSTI colleagues,

Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN for Economic Community, His Excellency Satvinder Singh,

Distinguished delegates,

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh and a very good afternoon,

1. On behalf of the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, it gives me immense pleasure to extend a warm welcome to you all to the 12th Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology, and Innovation.

2. It is indeed a great honour for Brunei Darussalam to assume the IAMMSTI Chairmanship and we are pleased to have this opportunity to gather everyone here, physically. I would therefore like to thank your excellencies and your delegation for your presence here today.

3. I would also like to extend my appreciation to the Deputy Secretary General for ASEAN Economic Community, as well as his dedicated team for the invaluable and unwavering support that is provided for our meetings.

Your Excellencies, Distinguished delegates, Ladies and gentlemen,

4. Today, we come together not only to reflect on our progress in developing of Science, Technology, and Innovation in the region, but to also agree on a way forward to further realize our goals under the ASEAN Plan of Action and Science, Technology, and Innovation (APASTI) 2016-2025. We must continue to not only strengthen collaboration among all ASEAN Member States, but also further enhance cooperation between the key stakeholders in our innovation systems that include government, academia, industry, and society.

5. As outline in the APASTI 2016-2025 one of our key objectives is to address “the Grand Challenges of the new millennium.” It is therefore imperative that we continue to support projects and activities that address real world problems that we collectively face in ASEAN. In doing so, we can ensure that the practical solutions are developed from the projects that are undertaken and that our activities will have a profound impact on the socio-economic development of region. 

6. For example, as we will hear later, ASEAN is now working on the development of The ASEAN Strategy for Carbon Neutrality. I am certain that our projects and activities under IAMMSTI can help to support the implementation this strategy once it is launched. Science, Technology and Innovation is a necessary component towards achieving the goals of Carbon Neutrality. Therefore, I am very much looking forward to our sharing session today on this topic to better understand and learn from all ASEAN Member States on the various strategies and approaches towards tackling this matter. 

7. During our deliberation on this agenda, let us share our experiences, challenges, and successes in implementing sustainable practices at the national level. Together, we can nurture mutual learning and strengthen our collective effort to achieve carbon neutrality and sustainable growth.

Your Excellencies, Distinguished delegates, Ladies and gentlemen,

8. In working towards the implementation of APASTI 2016-2025, it is also imperative that we do so in a manner that is efficient and effective. STI is a complex area that involves multiple stakeholders and cuts across multiple disciplines. We must continuously strive to streamline our process while maintaining strong governance and oversight as we work towards our goals. I understand that some of these items have been discussed during a recent COSTI Retreat, and hope that some key recommendations can be adopted to strengthen our ability to realize our goals. 

9. With that, I’d like to conclude my opening remarks by once again thanking colleagues for your presence here today. Let us make the most of this physical gathering, and with our efforts drive positive change that will benefit the people of ASEAN and the generations to come.

Thank you.