Oleh/By : DATO SERI DR MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : WARSAW, POLAND
Tarikh/Date : 21-02-2002
Tajuk/Title : THE OFFICIAL DINNER HOSTED BY
H.E. LESZEK MILLER PRIME
MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC
OF POLAND
Versi : ENGLISH
Penyampai : PM
Thank you so much for your kind words of welcome.
2. It is truly a delight to be finally here in Poland
after so many postponements. Despite the cold weather,
my delegation and I have encountered only warmth and
friendship ever since we arrived in Poland. I would
like to express my sincerest appreciation to the
government of the Republic of Poland, and to you Mr.
Prime Minister, for the friendly welcome and
hospitality extended to me, my wife and to members of
my delegation here in Warsaw.
3. Malaysia and Poland enjoy more than three decades
of uninterrupted diplomatic relations. During these
three decades we have seen Poland emerge from a
centrally planned economy to embrace the free market
system. The courage and resilience of the Polish
people is well documented. You have endured invasion,
occupation and domination. But through it all, with
sheer determination you have succeeded in maintaining
your spirits. The move towards greater democratisation
started by the Solidarity Movement eventually brought
down the Iron Curtain. The positive winds of change
affected not only Poland but the whole region as well.
4. Poland's economic transformation bears testimony
to the forward looking policies adopted by your
government. You have succeeded in lowering inflation
and embarking on successful privatisation programmes.
Poland has entered into a Partnership for Peace with
NATO and you are now a frontline state for entry into
the European Union. We commend you for these
achievements.
5. Our bilateral relations have also seen marked
improvements. The volume of trade between our two
countries grew last year despite the economic slowdown.
However we have yet to realise our full potential.
That is why I have included in my delegation a number
of business people. It is my hope that they will be
able to forge smart partnerships that can be mutually
beneficial. Malaysia has much to offer Poland in terms
of goods and services. Poland has well developed
expertise in military technology and shipbuilding. I
am confident that our various talents can be
complemented in the interests of both sides. Polish
entrepreneurs and businessmen should look at Malaysia
as their profit centre. The Malaysian economy is
fundamentally strong and sound. The AFTA will come
into being in 2004 and a market of over 500 million is
open to you through Malaysia. We can be your
springboard for the region. The centre of economic
gravity is shifting from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Let us together, seek ways to turn opportunities for
greater growth and development into concrete projects.
6. Another promising area for our bilateral co-
operation is in the tourism sector. People-to-people
contacts through tourism is an important aspect of
bilateral relations. We are happy to note that
Malaysia is becoming quite a popular destination for
Polish tourists. Last year an estimated 30,000 Poles
visited Malaysia. We welcome more Polish tourists.
Malaysia is truly Asia and we can promise you that the
experience of visiting Malaysia will be unforgettable
as well as rewarding.
7. Today we live in an extremely fragile world made
worse by the events of September 11. The fight against
terrorism while remaining a priority for all of us
should not be expanded to include other agendas.
Attempts are being made to extend the war in
Afghanistan to other countries all in the name of
fighting terrorism. Malaysia cannot support such
actions. There is an urgent need to have a clear
definition of terrorism. This would enable us to
distinguish between a genuine freedom fighter and one
who is motivated by a misplaced sense of injustice or
grievance. We are also of the view that acts of terror
are unjustified even if the cause is noble. There is
also a need to look at the underlying causes of
terrorism such as unremitting oppression. Malaysia
believes that these issues can best be addressed
through an International Conference on Terrorism.
8. We are also increasingly alarmed by the tendency
in some quarters to portray terrorism as being the
monopoly of a particular group or religion. We reject
this view as being unhelpful and unhealthy. We must
avoid stereotyping and profiling people according to
their beliefs or ethnicity. It is important that
reason prevails over emotion if we are to tackle this
scourge of terrorism in a pragmatic manner.
9. I am convinced that relations between our two
nations merit our sustained attention. We should
strive to lift Malaysia-Polish relations to greater
heights. To that end we should cooperate to maximise
the advantages and build on the strong foundations laid
thirty years ago between our two nations.
10. On that note, Excellency allow me to reiterate my
grateful thanks to you for the very warm reception
accorded to us. I am sure we will all leave Poland
with many fond memories.
Sumber : Pejabat Perdana Menteri
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