31 July 2015 – Philippine Ambassador to Austria Maria Zeneida Angara Collinson assumed the Chairmanship of the ASEAN Vienna Committee on July 29 at its 34th session. The Philippines takes over from Thailand as Chair for the second half of 2015.
The ASEAN Vienna Committee serves as a venue for discussions and a vehicle for initiatives among Embassies and Permanent Missions of ASEAN Member States in Vienna. Ambassador Collinson has programmed meetings with various officials from Austria, including Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, and from international organizations based in Vienna for the ASEAN Vienna Committee to raise its profile in Austria.
The following ASEAN Member States are currently represented in the committee: Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The Philippines last assumed the ASEAN Vienna Committee Chairmanship in the first half of 2012. END