On Monday 6 February 2006 Mr Bilahari Kausikan, Second Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore, will be speaking on "Challenges for the Asian Identity".
Last month’s East Asian summit was another milestone in the creation of an emerging Asian community. Yet despite that and myriad other regional meetings, and a decade after the great debate over ‘Asian Values,’ huge challenges remain in clarifying the Asian identity. The IISS is therefore pleased to invite you to join us for a presentation on “Challenges for the Asian Identity” which will be presented by Bilahari Kausikan, Second Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore.
Mr. Kausikan is well known to many Asia watchers for his incisive analysis of strategic issues and regional affairs. In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kausikan has served on the North America Desk, as First Secretary in the Singapore Embassy in Washington DC, as Director for Southeast Asia, Director for East Asia and the Pacific and as Deputy Secretary for Southeast Asia. He has also served as the Press Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and as the Ministry’s Spokesman.
Mr Kausikan served as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York from 1995 to 1998 with concurrent accreditation as High Commissioner to Canada and Ambassador to Mexico. Prior to this appointment, he served as Ambassador to the Russian Federation from 1994 to 1995, with concurrent accreditation as Ambassador to Finland.
In August 2001, Mr Kausikan was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold). In December 2002, he was awarded the “Order of Bernardo O’Higgins” with the rank of “Gran Cruz” by the President of the Republic of Chile.
Mr Kausikan was educated at Raffles Institution, the University of Singapore and Columbia University in New York.
Meetings take place at Arundel House, 13-15 Arundel Street, WC2R 3DX. This meeting will take place in the Fifth Floor meeting room at 2pm. Members who would like to attend are asked to notify Caitlin Brannan at brannan@iiss.org or tel. +44 (0)20 7395 9119.
Seats are allocated on a first notified, first registered basis.
This meeting is strictly off the record.
