Hanoi (VNA) – A week of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) kicked off in Ankara capital of Turkey on October 25.

Addressing the launch, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal said his country sees ASEAN as a key partner in the Asia-Pacific region.

ASEAN constitutes a successful model of regional cooperation and one of the best examples of unity and diversity, he said, highlighting Turkey wish to develop deeper and broader cooperation with the ASEAN and its individual member states on the basis of common objectives and interests

Turkey became a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN in 2017.

Aside from cooperation in culture and education, Turkey wants to enhance dialogue with ASEAN and increase ties in other areas such as science and technology, according to Onal.

The Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) is hosting the four-day event, which is attended by ASEAN members, including Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Brunei, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

YTB head Abdullah Eren said the week’s goal is to enable societies to get to know each other within the framework of public diplomacy, and to show solidarity./.
VNA