Captain Basza Alexzandar Haji Basri, Chairman, ASEAN Ports Association, or APA, 
Mr. Haji Khairul Zaman Haji Abd Jalil, Secretary General, APA, 
Mr. Niel Galias Tuazon, Head of APA Permanent Secretariat, 

Heads of Delegations, Distinguished Guests,

1    Good morning. 

2    On behalf of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, or MPA, I welcome you to Singapore for the 45th ASEAN Ports Association Working Committee Meeting. 

3    It has been eight years since Singapore last hosted an APA meeting. We are glad to have ASEAN's port community back with us once again.

4    For centuries, Singapore has been a meeting point for traders, cultures and ideas, connecting our region to the rest of the world. And today, we continue to be a thriving port. 
 
5    Our maritime journey has always been underpinned by one enduring principle. Our success depends not only on our geography, but on our openness, connectivity and, above all, our partnerships.

6    That same spirit continues to guide us today. No port succeeds in isolation. Every vessel that calls at our ports, every shipment that crosses our seas – they move because governments, ports and industry partners choose to work together.

Significance of ASEAN

7    Today, that spirit of partnership is more important than ever.

8    We meet at a time of geopolitical strain. Conflicts in different parts of the world, and repeated supply chain disruptions, have shown us how interconnected our economies are. 

9     We have seen how disruptions to vital shipping routes can have consequences far beyond the waters in which they occur in. These developments remind us that safety and security in maritime transport do not stop at our own waters. They are regional, and indeed global, concerns.
 
10    ASEAN feels this keenly. Ours is among the world's most trade-dependent regions, connected by the seas that have long served as our economic lifeline. 

11    Our seas carry the food, the fuel and the goods our people depend on, and the millions of jobs that come with them. 

12    The resilience of our maritime sector is therefore inseparable from the resilience of our region and its people.

Significance of APA

13    Our ports sit at the heart of this. They are more than gateways for trade. They are the arteries that carry our economies, businesses, and communities.

14    That is why the APA platform matters. For more than five decades, it has brought members together to share experience, exchange knowledge and build technical cooperation. This has helped members address common challenges and advance our collective interests.

15    At a time when many countries around the world are turning inward, the APA’s enduring tradition of fostering friendship and extending support – a tradition rooted in the APA Sports Festival – is no longer just good practice. It is a model of collaboration worth upholding and celebrating.   

16    I am very heartened to see the strong participation this morning. 

Review of APA’s Goals and Strategies

17    As many would know, our industry is also entering a new era of transformation. 

18    Digitalisation, artificial intelligence and automation are changing how ports operate.  At the same time, we must support the shift to cleaner shipping, without losing a step on safety and reliability. 

19    None of this will be easy. It will call for new skills and new ways of working. But it also gives ASEAN ports a great deal to learn from each other.  

20    Take digitalisation as an example. Better data exchange between our ports means fewer delays, better use of resources, and a region that is easier to ship through.  

21    Another example is green shipping. ASEAN is well placed to supply and support the marine fuels of the future. By sharing what works, and what does not, we can take a greater part in these new value chains.

22    Singapore takes over the ASEAN Chairmanship next year, and with it, the Maritime Transport Working Group. We will focus on these key areas: (a) strengthening digitalisation to ensure better flow of data between our ports and (b) advancing green shipping, so we can share experience and do well together. That is the ASEAN Spirit – each member takes its turn at the helm, and we look forward to doing our part. 

23    It is in this context that the APA’s review of its Goals and Strategies is timely. It is a chance to reaffirm what this Association is for, and to update its strategic priorities to match what members need today in this changing world. 

Potential Collaboration with other Port Associations

24    I am also pleased that other port associations have expressed interest in working with the APA. This reflects growing recognition of the APA's contributions and its important role in bringing ASEAN ports together. Let us find a good way to work with these other port associations.

Conclusion

25    Let me close with a line from 1967. At the founding of ASEAN in Bangkok in 1967, Singapore’s first Foreign Minister, Mr. S Rajaratnam, described what the five founding members were doing as coming together to “pool their collective resources and their collective wisdom”. The context back then was very different, but the idea holds true today, and is indeed very relevant in the current environment. 

26    Each of our ports come together with different strengths, different constraints, and different experiences. Taken together, they add up to something none of us could build alone – safer regional waters, smoother trade, and a more resilient maritime future for all our people. 

27    With that, I wish you all productive discussions and a successful 45th APA Working Committee Meeting. Thank you.