Launching of the ASEAN-Korea Centre
YB Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia led the Malaysian delegation to the Inauguration Ceremony of the ASEAN-Korea Centre on Friday, 13 March 2009 at the Korea Press Centre Building. YB DFM was invited by the RoK Government in recognition of Malaysia’s capacity as the Country Coordinator for ASEAN-RoK Relations.
The opening ceremony was graced by H.E. Dr. Han Seung-soo, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (RoK) and attended by H.E. Yu Myung-hwan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the RoK; H.E. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand; Members of the RoK National Assembly; ASEAN Ambassadors; members of the diplomatic corps as well as local dignitaries.
The Centre was established in line with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during the 11th ASEAN-RoK Summit in Singapore in November 2007. Among the Centre’s aims are to bolster the partnership between RoK and ASEAN by helping to increase trade, accelerate investment flows, invigorate tourism and enrich culture and personnel exchanges between the members of the Centre.
YB DFM hosted a dinner on the same day at Pattaya Restaurant, Itaewon in Seoul. It was attended by all HBS and 30 JPA-sponsored students attending various universities in the RoK. As this was YB DFM’s first trip to the country, the dinner provided an opportunity for the students to interact with YB DFM.
