The Budapest Times
From left, Ambassador of Viet Nam Nguyen Thi Bich Thao, Ambassador of Malaysia Francisco Munis, Ádám Stifter of Hungary’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ambassador of Indonesia A.H. Dimas Wahab, Ambassador of Thailand Nipon Petchpornprapas and Ambassador of the Philippines Frank R. Cimafranca.

‘Stronger together’ at ASEAN Day commemoration

Written by BT
ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commemorated the 55th ASEAN Day at the Residence of the Indonesian Ambassador to Hungary in District II on August 8. It was the first commemoration since the pandemic and was attended by the ambassadors of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam.

The 80-plus participants included representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, public and private sectors, media, staff from the embassies and business people from ASEAN countries.

The guest of honour was Ádám Stifter, Deputy State Secretary for Development of Eastern Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The theme of ASEAN Day 2022 was “Stronger Together”. Welcoming remarks were made by Ambassador of Indonesia to Hungary A.H. Dimas Wahab. Ambassador of the Philippines to Hungary Frank R. Cimafranca delivered the remarks on behalf of ASEAN member states.

Ambassador Cimafranca recalled ASEAN’s achievements and praised the success of the ASEAN way of diplomacy, anchored on policies such as non-interference in internal affairs and consensus-based decision-making. He noted how ASEAN has managed to maintain ASEAN centrality on regional issues through diplomatic mechanisms such as the ASEAN Plus Three and the ASEAN Regional Forum.

Stifter congratulated ASEAN for its achievement in preserving peace and stability and acceleration of economic growth in the region. He emphasised the importance of the long-standing multilateral and regional cooperation with regional organisations such as ASEAN in Hungary’s foreign policy. He noted that Hungary supports the principle of ASEAN centrality and its role in the regional architecture, and hopes to establish beneficial partnerships with countries that share similar values, plus further expand cooperation with ASEAN countries in various areas such as trade, education and water technology.

The remarks were followed by the playing of the ASEAN anthem “The ASEAN Way” and a reception with traditional dishes from ASEAN member states.

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