Pretoria (VNA) – The ASEAN Committee in Pretoria (APC) on August 19 held a ceremony marking the 59th anniversary of ASEAN’s founding (August 8, 1967 – 2026), as the bloc seeks to strengthen its central role in shaping the regional architecture and deepen its sectoral dialogue partnership with South Africa.
The event was particularly significant as it marked three historic milestones: the 59th anniversary of ASEAN’s establishment, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), and the third anniversary of the ASEAN-South Africa Sectoral Dialogue Partnership. It also provided an opportunity to strengthen ASEAN’s presence, solidarity and coordination among its diplomatic missions, while deepening the frienship with the host country. Addressing nearly 300 guests at the ceremony, Philippine Ambassador to South Africa Myla Grace Ragenia Macahilig, rotating Chair of the APC, stressed that the ASEAN-South Africa Practical Cooperation Areas for 2024-2028 are helping shift the relationship from diplomatic dialogue towards concrete action.
In the second half of 2026, the APC will prioritise economic integration, innovation and the development of resilient supply chains. Affirming that South Africa is an essential anchor for the bloc in Africa, while ASEAN is a gateway for South Africa to East Asian economies, Macahilig said the bloc would also step up youth exchanges, partnerships between organisations and provincial-level outreach activities across South Africa, thereby strengthening solidarity among countries of the Global South and standing together at international forums.
At the ceremony, Thandiwe Fadane, Director responsible for East Asia and Oceania at South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), praised ASEAN as a prime example of effective regional cooperation, contributing to Southeast Asia’s emergence as one of the world’s most dynamic, resilient and influential regions. She also highly valued the continued efforts of the APC and the member delegations to promote understanding, friendship and cooperation between South Africa and Southeast Asia.
In an interview with Vietnam News Agency correspondents in South Africa, Fadane affirmed that ASEAN is an extremely important partner region for South Africa. South Africa becoming the first African country to establish a Sectoral Dialogue Partnership with the bloc carries great significance, opening up numerous opportunities for cooperation based on shared interests and complementarities between the two sides.
From an economic perspective, she stressed that people-to-people exchanges are the first key factor, providing a solid foundation for promoting business and cooperation in other fields. South Africa has already made positive progress by beginning to export agricultural products to Vietnam. Looking ahead, it hopes to rapidly expand cooperation with Vietnam as well as other ASEAN countries across a range of technological fields./.
VNA
