Participants in the celebration of ASEAN's 50 founding anniversary in the US (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The embassies of the Association of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN) member countries in the US and Spain co-hosted celebrations forthe grouping’s 50th founding anniversary on September 16.
Atthe event in the US, participants reviewed ASEAN’s 50 years of development,relations between ASEAN and the US and ASEAN’s role in current internationalissues.
ASEANhas witnessed breakthrough development steps over the past five decades,becoming an organisation with the central role in the region, they noted.
Thedelegates also lauded the ASEAN-US Strategic Partnership on the occasion of the40th founding anniversary of bilateral relations in 2017.
Overthe past 40 years, ASEAN has become an important strategic partner of the US invarious fields, including politics, economy, security, science-technology,humanitarian aid and regional and international issues.
TheUS side affirmed that Washington attaches importance to and supports ASEAN’scentrality in the region as well as its efforts to build the ASEAN Communityand promoting ASEAN-US relations in the time to come.
Thesame day, the ASEAN Family Day was held in Spain by the embassies of Vietnam,Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.
Speakingat the event, Ambassador Zainal Abidin Bakar of Malaysia, which is currently Chairof the ASEAN Committee in Madrid, highlighted the grouping’s great achievementsduring the last five decades, especially the founding of the ASEAN Community in2015.
Healso emphasised the significance of the ASEAN Family Day this year as it marks theorganisation’s 50th founding anniversary and 40 years of ASEAN-EuropeanUnion relations, offering an opportunity for their people to enhance friendshipand understanding.-VNA
