PH, ASEAN Ambassadors in Helsinki Meet with Finnish Foreign Minister

Foreign Minister Pekla Haavisto (center) is joined by the Ambassadors of Thailand Chavanart Thangsumphant, Vietnam Thi Hai Tam Dang, Indonesia Ratu Silvy Gayatri, Philippines Maria Isleta and Malaysia Pengiran Hajah Krtini Binti Penigran Haj Mohd Tahir. Also in photo is Director General Jari Sinkari (leftmost) of the Finnish MInistry of Foreign Affairs. (Stockholm PE photo)

STOCKHOLM, 06 October 2022 – ASEAN Committee Helsinki (ACH) comprised of resident Ambassadors in Finland from Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Vietnam, as well as non-resident Ambassador of the Philippines met with Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto on 05 October 2022 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They were joined at the meeting by the Director General of the Department of Americas and Asia Pacific Jari Sinkari and other officials of the Department. 

The ASEAN Ambassadors as a collective were able to discuss regional cooperation issues between ASEAN and the EU / Finland including possible accession of Finland to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), the forthcoming ASEAN-EU commemorative Summit in December to be held in Brussels on 14 December 2022 and the newly adopted ASEAN-EU Plan of Action (2023-2027). 

Finnish Foreign Minister Haavisto also provided the ASEAN Ambassadors with a briefing on the progress of Finland’s application for membership in NATO. 

Individual ASEAN were also able to take up their respective concerns and areas for collaboration on a bilateral basis with Finland. 

The meeting was held in a spirit of friendship and solidarity. END 

The ASEAN Ambassadors – from left, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines (seated in the order of precedence from left to right) sit down for a discussion with FM Haavisto at the Foreign Ministry. (Stockholm PE photo)

For more information, https://stockholmpe.dfa.gov.ph/.