The ASEAN flag raising ceremony has become a custom of all ASEAN member countries on the anniversary of its founding.

A flag hoisting ceremony took place in New York city on August 8 to mark the 56th founding anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (August 8, 1967-2023), VNA reported.

Present at the ceremony included ambassadors from ASEAN member states, heads of the bloc’s delegations, consulate generals of some ASEAN member states in the city, and Mayor of New York city Eric Adams, among others.

In the moment the ASEAN anthem was played, all the diplomatic staff of the embassies of ASEAN member countries together witnessed the ASEAN flag raising ceremony in Riyadh. Photo: TG&VN

On the morning of August 8, at the headquarters of the Vietnamese Embassy in Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Dang Xuan Dung, rotating chairman of the ASEAN Committee in Riyadh (ARC), chaired the ASEAN flag-raising ceremony.

Attending the ceremony were Ambassadors, Chargé d'affaires and a large number of diplomats from the embassies of ASEAN countries in Riyadh.

Right after the ceremony, Ambassador Dang Xuan Dung chaired the second meeting of the ARC in 2023.

Ambassadors of ASEAN countries in the Netherlands, Brussels, representatives of ASEAN's partner countries and international organisations based in the Netherlands at the flag hoisting ceremony. Photo: VNA

On the same day, in Venezuela, a similar event was held to mark the anniversary of the regional grouping.

Addressing the flag-hoisting ceremony in Caracas, Vietnamese Ambassador to Venezuela Vu Trung My thanked the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant authorities for efforts to promote the friendship and cooperation between the South American country and ASEAN member states.

The 10 member countries of ASEAN are continuing their efforts to build a comprehensive and sustainable development community, and strongly promoting intra-bloc cooperation in digital economy, sustainable development, clean energy transition, climate change adaptation, and building ASEAN Community Vision by 2045, Vu stressed.

Venezuelan Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tatiana Pugh Moreno highly valued the role and geostrategic position of ASEAN in the region and the world, particularly in the context of recent global uncertainties.

Venezuela hopes to become an observer of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), she said, affirming that her country will continue its efforts to promote cooperation and regional connectivity between the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and ASEAN in the time to come.

Speaking at the ceremony held by the ASEAN Committee in Prague (ACP), Katerina Sequensova, Director General of Section of Non-European Countries of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, highlighted the fruitful relationship between her country and ASEAN.

ASEAN is one of the Czech Republic's most traditional and strategically important economic cooperation partners in Asia, she affirmed.

Ambassador Dang Thi Thu Ha, Chairwoman of the ASEAN Committee in Rabat. Photo: NDO

Meanwhile, in the ceremony in Rabat, the capital city of Morocco, Ambassador Dang Thi Thu Ha, Chairwoman of the ASEAN Committee in Rabat, reviewed the relationship between ASEAN and Morocco over the past time, especially the Kingdom’s accession to the association’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in 2016, becoming an observer of the association’s Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in 2020.

In Singapore, more than 100 diplomatic officials and their spouses from ASEAN member countries, along with ASEAN observer of Timor Leste, joined a walking event on August 8 to celebrate the 56th founding anniversary of the regional bloc.

This is the first outdoor activities jointly held by ASEAN member states’ embassies in Singapore after the Covid-19 pandemic, aiming to offer a chance for the officials and their spouses to meet, thus strengthening their solidarity and promoting the image of the association to Singaporean and international friends.

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang (sixth, from right) and officials of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations attend the flag raising ceremony to mark the 56th founding anniversary of ASEAN. Photo: VNA

Ambassadors and Deputy Ambassadors of ASEAN member states in Russia gather to mark the 56th founding anniversary of ASEAN. Photo: VNA

In Hanoi, an ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony was held to mark the bloc’s 56th founding anniversary and 28 years of Vietnam’s membership of the association. Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son chaired the ceremony.

ASEAN's relations with the rest of the world have become opener, richer, and more durable. ASEAN's relations with partners have not only increased in quantity but also changed in quality, helping ASEAN maintain high growth – reaching 5.5% in 2022, becoming the fifth largest economy in the world. That is proof of the identity, values, vitality, and reputation of ASEAN, Son said.

According to the minister, the image of ASEAN can be found in the success of Vietnam during its innovation and integration and vice versa.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son speaks at the ceremony. Photo: VNA

In addition, the relationship between Vietnam and other ASEAN members is also the "bricks" to build up a strong and sustainable ASEAN Community today.

Son affirmed that, with the advantages of geo-strategic location, young and abundant human resources, and the desire to integrate more deeply and comprehensively, ASEAN still has a great potential for development.

He said that the world is facing challenges, the recovery of the global economy is still uncertain, the geopolitical environment continues to change, and the competition among major powers continues remains fierce, but the ASEAN Community has demonstrated its resilience, flexibility, and proactive adaptation to overcome challenges.

Son said he believes with a solid foundation that has been cultivated for half a century and its aspirations, ASEAN will become an inclusive, a sustainable development community, and a focal point for the growth of the region and the world over.

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