Honorable Vice Minister(s),
Your excellencies, distinguished guests, colleagues, ladies
and gentlemen.
Good morning to you all.
Let me start by first thanking our host country Thailand,
and particularly Khun Mingquan Wichayarangsaridh of
the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for
joining me in inaugurating this conference, which assumes
special significance in the wake of the unfortunate natural
resource disasters Thailand and many GMS countries
faced during 2011.