The event was held by the embassies of the ASEAN member states in the host country in collaboration with the Argentine Foreign Ministry.
In his remarks, Malaysian Ambassador Mohd Khalid Abbasi Abdul Razak, who is Chairman of the ASEAN Committee in Buenos Aires, reviewed the association’s establishment and development since 1967, with notable achievements in all sectors, turning ASEAN into a close-knit, proactive, and prestigious community.
The region recorded a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of US$2.6 trillion, the third largest economy in Asia, and the sixth largest in the world, he underlined, adding that the bloc is targeting to become the world’s fourth strongest economy, just following the US, China, the European Union (UN).
ASEAN members reached consensus on expanding cooperative ties with major partners, enhancing integration efforts, and promoting solidarity for regional development, peace, and sustainability. The Malaysian diplomat affirmed that ASEAN has become a prime example of regional integration.
He said that the foreign ministers of ASEAN countries have recently approved the establishment of the ASEAN Committee in Buenos Aires to fortify strong bonds, and further collaboration with the host nations in various sectors.
Argentine Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Daniel Raimondi, for his part, congratulated ASEAN states on their achievements during integration process, and spoke highly of the bloc’s increasing role in the international arena.
ASEAN’s success is an illustration for solidarity and cooperation strength that can create a sustainable integration model benefitting all member states, he said.
Laying stress on the effective collaborative ties, especially in economy and trade, between ASEAN and Argentina, Raimondi noted that Argentina’s recent accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) is part of the country’s commitment to continue bolstering relations in all areas with this bloc.
On the occasion, five ASEAN member states having representative offices in Argentina, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, introduced their traditional costumes, and special dishes to the guests.
