Food festival celebrates ASEAN Community

The event features culinary delights and traditional costumes from the bloc’s ten member nations. Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, President of the city women’s union, said the event aims to introduce the culture and people of ASEAN nations to local people. The cultural exchange is one of the efforts in promoting the solidarity and friendship between ASEAN nations with Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular, Ngoc said. Founded in 1967, the 10-member ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The bloc established the ASEAN Community on December 31, 2015. ASEAN is one of Vietnam’s leading trading partners and an important driving force in helping Vietnam’s economy maintain its exports and growth over recent years./.