Vietnamese embassy hosts ASEAN anniversary celebration in Chile

Hanoi, AUgust 10 (VNA) – The Vietnamese Embassy in Chile, as rotating Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Santiago (ACS), coordinated with representative agencies of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand in organising a ceremony on August 8 to mark the 51st founding anniversary of ASEAN. Attending the event were Chilean Vice Minister for Trade Rodrigo Yanez, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Jorge Canelas and about 100 representatives from diplomatic corps, partners, business and press agencies in Chile, as well as communities of ASEAN countries in the country. Speaking at the ASEAN flag hoisting ceremony, Chargé d'Affaires Nguyen Minh Anh stressed the contributions of ASEAN to regional peace and stability over the past 51 years, including the establishment of the ASEAN Community. He affirmed that ASEAN is now the seventh largest economic community in the world with intensive and extensive linkages. It is playing an important strategic role in the Asia-Pacific region. Anh said he is pleased with Chile giving priority to promoting its relations with Asia-Pacific in general and ASEAN in particular, highlighting the effective cooperation between ASEAN and Chile through free trade agreements the latter signed with several members of the bloc. According to the diplomat, Vietnam’s hosting of the World Economic Forum on ASEAN (WEF ASEAN) 2018 this September will open up great collaboration opportunities for not only ASEAN but also those outside. He expressed his belief that, looking toward the APEC 2019, with the high consensus of members, ACS will continue contributing to strengthening bilateral cooperation between ASEAN and Chile in general and between each ASEAN member and the Latin American country in particular. Participants to the ceremony were introduced to ASEAN and had a chance to enjoy cuisines and wear traditional costumes of its member countries.-VNA