10 August 2016 — The ASEAN Committee in Doha (ACD) celebrated ASEAN Day on August 08 and officially turned over the chairmanship of the ACD from Singapore to the Philippines. The event was held at the chancery of the Singaporean Embassy in Doha.
“Regional stability and rapid economic progress in ASEAN has improved the lives of its peoples and attracted worldwide attention and investors... But, there is still much work to be done to make it more integrated and connected,” outgoing ACD Chairperson, Singaporean Ambassador Wong Kwok Pun said in his opening remarks.
Ambassador Wong acknowledged “that there is now greater public awareness of ASEAN and the individual member countries, and its growing economic potential” in Qatar thanks to the hospitality and support of the Qatari government and friends of the ASEAN in the media, among others.
“I humbly accept this honor of being the new Chairperson of the ACD at a time when part of my term will coincide with the Philippines’ Chairmanship of the ASEAN next year and the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN,” Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Wilfredo C. Santos said in his speech.
Ambassador Santos also noted that “next year’s ASEAN will be especially significant as President Rodrigo R. Duterte will be thrust into the international spotlight as he presides over the ASEAN.”
He added that “such community-building objective (of the ACD) has become more crucial as the ASEAN faces extraordinary and existential challenges in the region that threatens the organization’s unity and solidarity. It is therefore imperative that we strengthen the commonalities that bind us, while also celebrating diversity and respecting each other’s differences.”
Ambassador Santos’ term as ACD Chairperson will run from August 2016 to August 2017.
Other attendees to this simple afternoon reception included members of the ACD Working Group, representatives of the various ASEAN communities in Qatar, members of the local media, and the Principal of the Philippine School Doha, Dr. Alexander S. Acosta.
The ACD is comprised of the embassies of the Philippines (Chair), Thailand (Vice-Chair), Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Viet Nam, and Indonesia. END
