11 September 2014 - The Philippine Embassy in Prague led the Embassies of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam in celebrating the 47th Anniversary of the Establishment of ASEAN on August 27 at the Music Museum in Mala Strana, Prague 1. Along with the Heads of Mission and personnel of the resident ASEAN Member Embassies, about 120 participants composed of representatives from the Diplomatic Corps in Prague, Czech government officials, and members of the Czech business sector and academe, attended the celebration.
As the current Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Prague, the Philippine Embassy hosted the ASEAN Day celebration by holding a simple program and reception. The program primarily consisted of the ASEAN flag ceremony and a statement from Philippine Ambassador to the Czech Republic Vic Lecaros. On the other hand, the reception that followed showcased various cuisines from each of the five ASEAN Embassies.
In his remarks, Ambassador Lecaros traced the origin of ASEAN to “47 years ago… 3 republics and 2 constitutional monarchies… formed a fledgling regional organization that… excluded no one, despite apparent differences in cultures, historical colonial experience[s] and systems of government.” Ambassador Lecaros added that “ASEAN has since achieved its dream of an organization that binds all 10 Southeast Asian nations into One Vision, One Identity and One Community.”
Echoing Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario, Ambassador Lecaros said that, indeed, this year’s ASEAN theme of Moving Forward in Unity to a Peaceful and Prosperous Community is almost about to be fulfilled because “ASEAN is already an active contributor towards developing more equitable norms and practices in the conduct of international relations in Southeast Asia… by 2015, ASEAN member economies will be mostly integrated, with a combined market of about 500 million… and ASEAN members are likewise actively engaged in looking after the safety and welfare of all their citizens.”
In concluding his remarks, Ambassador Lecaros propitiously declared, “One Vision; One Identity; One Community. The future beckons – and it is bright.” END