Participants to the celebration. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The embassy of Vietnam and other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Budapest on August 9 held a ceremony to mark ASEAN's 56th founding anniversary (August 8, 1967-2023).
Attending the ceremony were Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Istvan Jakab, other Hungarian officials, Ambassadors, Chargé d'affaires, representatives of the embassies of ASEAN countries in Budapest, businesses, communities, students from ASEAN countries, and local press.
Speaking at the event, the Ambassador of Thailand to Hungary, Nipon Petchpornprapas delivered a welcome speech, showing pride in the increasingly strong ASEAN which is committed to peace, security, and prosperity.
He emphasised that the European Union (EU) and Hungary are strategic partners of ASEAN, and the partnership and cooperation agreements between the EU and ASEAN countries mark milestones in the relationship between the two regional organisations.
Abdurrachman Hudiono Dimas Wahab - Ambassador of Indonesia which chairs ASEAN this year - said that new ASEAN cooperation agreements, particularly those on the development of the electric vehicle ecosystem and payment connection, show that ASEAN is determined to remain one of the fastest growing regions in the world and an attractive investment destination despite the challenging macroeconomic environment.
For his part, Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Istvan Jakab congratulated ASEAN on its great achievements over the past six decades. He said he believes ASEAN will continue to enhance successful regional integration, its centrality in the region, and develop relations with the EU based on equality, benefit sharing and mutual respect, as well as expand relations with Hungary in areas such as parliamentary cooperation, infrastructure development, renewable energy, water resource management, trade, investment, ODA and education./.
