ASEAN Committee in Santiago, Chile Welcome ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn to Santiago, Reaffirm Commitment to Advance ASEAN-Chile Relations
(L-R) Chargé d'affaires Abang Abdul Rasyid Abang Yusop of Malaysia, Ambassador Vimolbajra Ruksakiati of Thailand, Ambassador Muhammad Anshor of Indonesia, Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Santiago Ambassador Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat of the Philippines, Foreign Affairs Minister of Chile Alberto van Klaveren, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, Undersecretary of International Economic Relations Claudia Sanhueza of Chile, and Ambassador Pham Truong Giang of Viet Nam (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile)
SANTIAGO 16 September 2024 – The ASEAN Committee in Santiago (ACS) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile welcomed ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn to a working visit in Santiago on 4-5 September 2024 to advance ASEAN-Chile relations, as ASEAN and Chile commemorate the 5th Anniversary of the ASEAN-Chile Development Partnership and the 57th ASEAN Day.
“ASEAN is at the cornerstone of Philippine foreign policy…A progressive ASEAN is a win-win not only for our region but also for our external partners, who are an important part of our development journey,” said Ambassador Vinzon-Balatbat in her remarks as ACS Chair at the Commemoration Ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Philippines underscored opportunities for ASEAN-Chile relations in practical cooperation initiatives in such areas as sustainable mining, development of electric vehicle ecosystems, renewable energy, and digital technology.
The ACS—composed of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Viet Nam—also presented a cultural performance of Southeast Asian martial arts (Kali from the Philippines and Muay Thai from Thailand) and showcased each country’s cuisine during the event.
The Philippines prepared “Tusok-Tusok” or skewered Filipino food, an essential part of the Philippine culinary culture. Prepared by Filipino Chef Miguel Damatac of Tachi Restaurant, the Philippine feast presented classic Tusok-Tusok/skewered snacks such as Kwek-Kwek, Banana Cue, and Camote cue.
The ASEAN Secretary-General also met with the ACS to discuss developments in ASEAN and ways to further strengthen the ASEAN-Chile partnership as well as raise ASEAN awareness in Chile and the South American region.
The ASEAN Secretary-General’s working visit on 4-5 September 2024 in Santiago includes meetings with Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren and Undersecretary of International Economic Relations Claudia Sanhueza, as well as engagements with the academe at the Universidad de Chile, the private sector at the headquarters of the Sociedad de Fomento Fabril (SOFOFA), and a meeting with Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
This is the first working visit of an ASEAN Secretary-General in Latin America. END
Ambassador Vinzon-Balatbat with ASEAN Secretary-General Kao at the Philippine booth
Ambassador Vinzon-Balatbat of the Philippines deliver her remarks at the commemoration ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Photo courtesy of MFA Chile)
For more information, visit https://www.santiagope.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinChile.