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Pakistani Federal Minister Aurangzeb Khan Khichi took a photo with Ambassadors and Representatives of ASEAN countries at the Ceremony. |
On August 7, in coordination with the International Institute for Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), a roundtable discussion was held with the theme "Pakistan and ASEAN: Partners in regional peace , progress and prosperity".
The event was attended by Ambassadors, representatives of ASEAN member countries in Islamabad, along with a large number of Pakistani officials, scholars and media; Pakistani Ambassadors to ASEAN countries and representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia attended online.
Mr. Imran Ahmed Siddiqui - Director General in charge of Asia - Pacific , Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan was the main guest at the Conference, speaking highly of ASEAN's achievements in 58 years of formation and development. Director General Siddiqui also shared the potential for expanding cooperation between Pakistan and ASEAN in the fields of trade, economy, politics, security, and socio-culture based on the common heritage - Gandhara civilization and Islamic culture.
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, Director of ISSI, also affirmed the strong development partnership between Pakistan and ASEAN over the years, recording an impressive trade growth of 23% in 2024, reaching over 11 billion USD, the highest ever, and shared new cooperation opportunities through key projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Speaking at the workshop, Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Anh Tuan emphasized that Vietnam's active and proactive participation in ASEAN activities has played an important role in building a peaceful, progressive and prosperous ASEAN community. He said that ACI in Pakistan consists of seven countries: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
ACI members always maintain close and regular relations with relevant agencies, academics and chambers of commerce and industry of Pakistan to inform and share many proposals, especially in some key areas such as trade, investment, climate change and environmental protection, to strengthen relations and promote cooperation between ASEAN countries and Pakistan.
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| Minister Aurangzeb Khan Khichi congratulated ASEAN member states on their 58th founding anniversary. |
At the 58th Anniversary of ASEAN held solemnly at Serena Hotel, Islamabad on the evening of August 8, Pakistan's Minister of National Heritage and Culture, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi attended as the chief guest. Myanmar Ambassador to Pakistan Wunna Han, current President of ACI, chaired the event.
In his speech, Minister Khichi congratulated ASEAN member states on their 58th anniversary, calling ASEAN “an exemplary example of regional transformation” and an inspiration for developing countries. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to deepening its relationship with ASEAN as a Sectoral Dialogue Partner since 1993 under the “East Asia Vision” policy.
He briefed about Pakistan’s strengths in digital innovation, agriculture, climate resilience, public health, poverty reduction and gender equality. He also praised the Pakistani community in ASEAN countries for strengthening people-to-people ties and expressed optimism about Pakistan becoming a full Dialogue Partner of ASEAN soon.
Appreciating the achievements of ASEAN, the Minister lauded the successful implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and expressed Pakistan’s full support for Vision 2045. He stressed the importance of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and Pakistan’s participation in addressing emerging challenges, including cybersecurity, food security, climate change and ethical governance in the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
Ambassador Wunna Han, Chair of ACI, noted that Pakistan is “ASEAN’s first and oldest Sectoral Dialogue Partner in the region. He also congratulated Pakistan on its re-election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the term 2025-2026 with 182 votes out of 193 member states. Under the Sectoral Dialogue Partnership (SDP), ASEAN and Pakistan have launched the Practical Cooperation Program (PCA) 2024-2028 with 31 initiatives across all three main pillars, of which nearly 30% of activities have been implemented such as cooperation focusing on cultural exchanges, sharing of experiences in pandemic management, and poverty reduction. New potential areas of cooperation include tourism, climate change response, counter-terrorism, and cybersecurity.
Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Anh Tuan informed the Pakistani Minister of Heritage and Culture that this year is also the year Vietnam celebrates the 30th anniversary of its accession to ASEAN, and respectfully invited the Minister to be the guest of honor at the upcoming 80th Anniversary of Vietnam's National Day celebration organized by the Embassy.
At the ceremony, ASEAN countries displayed cultural and culinary corners to introduce unique cultural images and traditional dishes that are most representative of each country's culinary culture. The fashion show of ASEAN countries and Pakistan, hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in collaboration with the Niftysphere Arts Academy of Pakistan, was a special highlight of the ceremony, vividly demonstrating a dynamic, developed, colorful ASEAN, united in diversity and friendship, solidarity with all countries, including Pakistan.
The ceremony made a deep impression on a large number of Pakistani and international guests and was widely reported by Pakistani news agencies and newspapers on various media platforms.
Some pictures from the event series in Islamabad:
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/chuoi-hoat-dong-that-chat-quan-he-hop-tac-asean-pakistan-324058.html
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