Embassies from countries members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) celebrated the association’s 50th anniversary on 29 August, when representatives from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia received dozens of guests for an afternoon of Festivities.
The beautiful event took place in the official residence of Thailand, in the North Sector of Embassies in Brasilia. The guests were welcomed by the ambassador of Thailand and Chairman of the ASEAN Committee in Brasília, Mr. Surasak Suparat, as well as the ambassadors Toto Riyanto of Indonesia, Do Ba Khoa of Vietnam, and the Chargé d’Affaires Mrs. Chin Siew Fei , from Singapore, Mr. Ariz Severino V. Convalecer, from The Philippines and Mrs. Norliyana Alias, from Malaysia.
The guests congregated in the open air areas of the residence, where a screen showed images of the ASEAN member countries. Among the guests there were members of the Brazilian government, diplomats, businessmen, intellectuals and members of the society of Brasilia.
After the arrival of the guests, the anthems of Brazil and ASEAN were played. Then, the ambassador of Thailand and Chairman of the ASEAN Committee in Brasilia, Mr. Surasak Suparat, gave a welcoming speech, highlighting the importance of ASEAN and its growing relations with Brazil. The ambassador ended his speech by inviting everyone to a toast in honor of ASEAN’s 50th anniversary.
The guest of honor of the event, Secretary General of the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations (Itamaraty), ambassador Marcos Bezerra Abbott Galvão, also delivered a speech to the guests and said that Brazil’s partnership with ASEAN is of great importance. The speeches were applauded by all.
A beautiful commemorative cake was symbolically cut by the members of ASEAN and the Brazilian ambassador, representing the strong union that exists today among all. Then the Thai ambassador, Mr. Surasak Suparat, invited everyone to taste typical dishes from ASEAN member countries, much appreciated by all.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was founded on August 8, 1967, in Bangkok, Thailand. The five founding members of ASEAN were Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam later joined the Association.
The ASEAN Community has three pillars, namely the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC), the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC). These pillars are deemed necessary for the progress and evolution of ASEAN and its peoples.
