11 March 2015 - The Philippines assumed chairmanship of the ASEAN Committee in Abu Dhabi (ACAD) on March 01 following a simple turnover ceremony at the Flavors Restaurant in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

ACAD is composed of six ASEAN member states that have diplomatic missions in Abu Dhabi, namely Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore.

During the meeting, Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi Chargé d’Affaires Maria Roseny B. Fangco thanked Malaysia for its previous chairmanship of ACAD and conveyed the Philippines’ honor and pleasure in accepting the Chairmanship of the Committee. She shared the initial plans of the Philippine Embassy to make ACAD more visible among the UAE leadership and agencies.

Other members of ACAD exchanged views on how ASEAN could maximize its overall relations with the UAE and how to strengthen ASEAN- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) relations. The group also discussed possible activities under the chairmanship of the Philippines.  END