ASEAN's 54th anniversary celebrated in Argentina

A ceremony has been held in Buenos Aires, Argentina to celebrate the 54th founding anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Deputy FM Tettamanti and Ambassadors of ASEAN countries at the celebration

The event was organised on September 2 by the embassies of the ASEAN member states in Argentina in collaboration with the Argentine Foreign Ministry.

Argentine Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pablo Tettamanti and representatives of ministries, sectors, socio-political organisations, local friends and representatives of the diplomatic corps attended the event.

Addressing the event, Philippine Ambassador Linglingay Lacanlale, who is Chairwoman of the ASEAN Committee in Buenos Aires, highlighted the bloc's solidarity to seek creative measures for benefits and happiness of people of the member countries.

According to the diplomat, despite challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, ASEAN continues fulfilling its economic plans, notably the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement signed in November last year.

Regarding the ASEAN-Argentina relations, Ambassador Lacanlale said that Argentina's participation in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) in 2018 was an important step to bring the two sides closer, opening up opportunities to promote specific programmes and activities in economic, political, cultural and social fields. Through bilateral political consultations between Argentina and ASEAN countries, the two sides also pledged to boost cooperation in potential fields such as renewable energy, agricultural technology and space.

She expressed her hope that Argentina and the South American Common Market (MERCOSUR) consider participating in RCEP to get greater advantages in the process of expanding economic and trade cooperation with ASEAN.

For his part, Argentine Deputy Foreign Minister Pablo Tettamanti spoke highly that ASEAN countries have built a strategic mechanism for dialogue and creation of regional and inter-regional projects, and affirmed a commitment to promoting cooperation and continuing efforts to become an important partner of ASEAN in Latin America.

Deputy FM Tettamanti also affirmed the Argentine Government's commitment to continuing to strengthen relations with ASEAN in traditional fields such as trade and agricultural technical cooperation as well as in science and high-tech, atomic energy, space industry, renewable energy and artificial intelligence./.

VNA