The 51st ASEAN Day Celebration and flag-raising ceremony were held at the Embassy of Malaysia in Lima, Peru on 8 August 2018. It was officiated by H.E. Chuah Teong Ban, Ambassador of Malaysia to Peru, as the current Chairman of the ASEAN Committee in Lima. It was attended by the ambassadors of the ASEAN Committee in Lima, ASEAN officials and the Ministry of External Relations of Peru.
In his welcoming speech, H.E. Chuah Teong Ban highlighted the purpose of the establishment of the ASEAN Committee in Lima (ACL) as well as activities that were undertaken last year. He extended appreciation to the Ministry of External Relations of Peru for the continuous support and participation at the ASEAN Day celebration since 2015. He recalled the momentous celebration last year which was officiated by Minister Nestor Popolizio and hosted by the Ministry of External Relations. ACL expressed their hope to continue receiving invaluable support and active participation from the Ministry of External Relations of Peru in the coming years.
The Ministry of External Relations of Peru represented by the Director General of Asia and Oceania, H.E. Elard Escala, acknowledged the importance of ASEAN as a regional cooperation. He underlined the significance of Peru’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) and urged ASEAN to expedite the process in order for the two parties to be able to expand the opportunity for dialogue and cooperation.
The event was completed with an ASEAN Day cake-cutting session by the Ambassadors and Charge d’ affaires of ACL as well as the Ministry of External Relations. It was indeed a memorable day for the ASEAN community in Lima as we work towards becoming a resilient and innovative community.
