BRUNEI, SINGAPORE AND THAILAND SIGN MULTILATERAL AGREEMENT ON PASSENGER AIR SERVICES

Brunei

Singapore

and

Thailand

signed a Multilateral Agreement (MA) on the Liberalisation of Passenger Air Services in Bangkok today. The MA was signed by the following Ministers:

His Excellency Pehin Dato Haji Zakaria

Minister of Communications, Brunei Darussalam

His Excellency Mr Yeo Cheow Tong

Minister for Transport, Republic of Singapore

His Excellency Mr Suriya Jungrungreangkit

Minister of Transport, Kingdom of Thailand

2 With the Passenger MA, airlines of the three signatory countries will have the flexibility to operate any number of direct, to-and-fro passenger services on any route between Brunei, Singapore and Thailand.

3 At the signing ceremony in Bangkok, Minister Yeo said, “This Passenger Agreement is a highly significant achievement for the liberalisation of the ASEAN transport sector. The ASEAN Roadmap for the Integration of the Air Travel Sector aims to achieve full liberalisation of cargo services and unlimited direct passenger services between ASEAN capitals by December 2008. Brunei, Thailand and Singapore are moving ahead to achieve the liberalisation target four years in advance. I am confident that both Agreements would spur ASEAN to achieve the milestones under the ASEAN Roadmap even faster, so as to achieve a seamless and integrated air network within the ASEAN region. I therefore join Minister Suriya and Minister Zakaria in extending a warm invitation to all fellow ASEAN members to join both Agreements. A comprehensive air network will help forge a vibrant ASEAN and help fulfil our vision of an ASEAN Economic Community.”

4 The Passenger MA is another successful initiative borne out of the “2+X” approach proposed by Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong at the 9^th ASEAN Summit in October 2003, which led to the three countries signing the “2+X” Multilateral Agreement on the Full Liberalisation of All-Cargo Services in February 2004. The “2+X” approach entails two or more ASEAN members co-operating in a certain sector, with other ASEAN members coming onboard when they are ready.

Date: 27 December 2004