The Vietnamese Embassy in Russia on August 23 hosted a ceremony to hoist the flag of ASEAN to mark the bloc’s 44 th founding anniversary (Aug. 8).

Addressing the ceremony, the Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia, Pham Xuan Son said that the ceremony manifested ASEAN countries’ commitment to build a politically, economically and culturally strong community, adding that it is also a symbol of cooperation and solidarity among ASEAN member countries as well as multifaceted cooperation between ASEAN and Russia.

The same day, the President of the ASEAN Committee to South Africa and the Indonesian Embassy in South Africa also hosted a ceremony to mark the 44 th founding anniversary of the ASEAN.

Indonesian Ambassador to South Africa, Sjahril Sabarudin underlined that with their efforts in maintaining regional stability and peace as well as the serious implementation of the ASEAN Charter, ASEAN member countries are playing an important role in the development process of the world and emerging as a key force in the international arena.

Sabarudin emphasised that it is now the best time for ASEAN countries to strongly promote the bloc’s internal development, creating a new situation in Asia-the Pacific and making important contributions to the world’s development.

On the occasion, the ASEAN diplomatic agencies in South Africa introduced the bloc’s development milestones over the past 44 years as well as images of landscape, people, and traditional culture of member countries./.