ASEAN-EU Partnership Underscored at 2018 ASEAN Day Reception in Berlin
Embassy Charge d’affaires Lillibeth V. Pono (second from right) joins Berlin ASEAN Committee (BAC) with guests of honor German Federal Foreign Office Director-General for Asia and the Pacific Ambassador Ina Lepel (fourth from left) and German Bundestag member and German-ASEAN Parliamentary Friendship Group chair Renate Künast (sixth from left). (Berlin PE photo)
BERLIN 05 November 2018 – In celebration of the founding anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Berlin ASEAN Committee (BAC) hosted the 51st ASEAN Day reception at the Malaysian Embassy on 25 October 2018.
Vietnamese Ambassador and current BAC Chair Doan Xuan Hung welcomed some 300 guests composed of Members of Parliament, business leaders, other German government officials, and foreign diplomats.
German Bundestag member and German-ASEAN Parliamentary Friendship Group chair Renate Künast, and German Foreign Office Director-General for Asia and the Pacific Ambassador Ina Lepel were in attendance as guests of honor.
In her remarks, Ambassador Lepel underscored the strong ASEAN-European Union partnership, referring to the two regional groupings as natural partners that adhere to multilateralism and a rules-based global order.
The German Foreign Office Director General also expressed hope for the conclusion of more free trade agreements between ASEAN member states and the EU.
The event started with the singing of the regional grouping’s anthem “The ASEAN Way” by the Philippine Embassy in Berlin’s Cultural Attaché Mylah Rubio. The song expresses unity and strengthened sense of an ASEAN identity and belongingness among the peoples of the region.
The Embassy also contributed musical numbers during the program with special song numbers from the Filipino cast members of “Marco Polo: When You Find Your True Love.” Filipino singers Pinky Marquez and Gian Maria Gloria rendered song numbers during the program.
Guests enjoyed a variety of dishes and desserts from all 10 ASEAN countries, including ripe Philippine mangoes, lumpia, and chicken adobo. They were also entertained by performances from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. END
The Philippine Embassy in Berlin presents musical numbers from Ms. Gian Marla Gloria (right) and Ms. Pinky Marquez (left), Filipino cast members of “Marco Polo: When You Find Your True Love, A New Musical,” which will run at the Admiralspalast-Studio from 31 October to 04 November 2018. (Berlin PE photo)
Officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy in Berlin, led by Charge d´Affaires a.i. Lillibeth V. Pono (fourth from left), clad in their traditional Filipiniana attire. (Berlin PE photo)
Ripe Philippine mangoes (Diamond brand), which quickly became a favorite among guests, is now available at Metro and select Edeka supermarkets in Germany. (Berlin PE photo)
For more information, visit www.berlinpe.dfa.gov.ph / www.philippine-embassy.de or https://www.facebook.com/PHinGermany.