52nd ASEAN Day Celebrated in Buenos Aires
ASEAN ambassadors in Buenos Aires do the ASEAN handshake with Argentine Foreign Affairs Vice Minister Gustavo Zlauvinen (third from left). (Buenos Aires PE photo)
BUENOS AIRES 28 August 2019 — The five Embassies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states in Argentina--Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam--commemorated the organization’s 52nd Founding Anniversary on 08 August 2019 at the Manuel Belgrano Auditorium of the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In her remarks, Ambassador to Argentina and Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Buenos Aires (ACBA) Linglingay F. Lacanlale highlighted the growing importance of ASEAN, and spoke in her remarks the many political and economic milestones ASEAN has achieved in its five decades of existence, joining ten highly diverse countries in pursuing common goals.
“Today, it is difficult to imagine the Asia Pacific region without ASEAN. ASEAN has served as the center od regionalism in East Asia and the Asia Pacific,” Ambassador Lacanlale said.
For his part, Argentine Foreign Affairs Vice Minister Gustavo Zlauvinen lauded ASEAN for its successful experience in regionalism and community-building, and for its dynamic economic success stories for the last fifty years. “Our combined trade with ASEAN in 2017 is US$17.8 billion, which highlights Argentina’s extensive commercial and trade ties with the ASEAN member countries, which, as a whole, comprises the fourth biggest global trade partner of Argentina.”
Both Ambassador Lacanlale and Vice-Minister Zlauvinen noted the increasing links between ASEAN and Argentina, and cited the examples of latter’s accession to the ASEAN’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in 2018, the continuing negotiations for an ASEAN-MERCOSUR free trade agreement, and the establishment of the ACBA in 2018.
With the Philippines providing artistic direction, a cultural presentation featuring an elegant parade of costumes was the highlight of the event. Models from the five ASEAN Embassies in Buenos Aires showcased their colorful ethnic costumes. The Philippines showcased the terno, barong Tagalog, and the Igorot and T’boli costumes.
The event was one of the first projects undertaken by the Philippines as ACBA Chair for the second half of 2019. Many guests remarked that it was by far the best program they have seen by foreign embassies in a long time.
A culinary feast featuring native ASEAN was also provided, where the Filipino cuisine was prepared by Chef Marta Ramirez, a well-known local chef specializing in Asian food.
More than 200 members of the diplomatic corps, functionaries of the Argentine government, businessmen, journalists, and academics attended the event. END
Ambassador to Argentina Linglingay Lacanlale (third from right) and Vice Minister Zlauvenin (third from left) sound the gong to officially open the ASEAN Day commemoration. (Buenos Aires PE photo)
Models pose for a photo with ASEAN Ambassadors and Vice Minister Zlauvenin. (Buenos Aires PE photo)
Models of Philippine costumes pose for a photo. (Buenos Aires PE photo)
For more information, visit http://buenosairespe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinArgentina/.