DOHA 28 February 2024 — Her Excellency Philippine Ambassador to the State of Qatar Lillibeth V. Pono chaired the 69th ASEAN Committee in Doha (ACD) Meeting and handed over the Chairship of the ACD to the Embassy of Singapore, led by His Excellency Ambassador Wong Chow Ming, on 28 February 2024.

In her remarks, Ambassador Pono highlighted the continuing relevance of the ASEAN 56 years since its founding. 

“Today, the world is very much different from what it was in 1967,” she said. “However, the same lofty ideals that provided the impetus for the birth of ASEAN remain as relevant, if not more so, given the complex set of challenges that the world is currently confronted with.”

Ambassador Pono also highlighted the various initiatives undertaken by the ACD in the past year under the chairship of the Philippine Embassy, including the joint ASEAN Day-ASEAN Food Festival, publication on ASEAN Day, ASEAN Community Sports Day, ASEAN book donation to the Qatar National Library, and ASEAN tree-planting activity.

“In all these activities, we at the ACD always hark back to our shared goal and objective: To promote ASEAN in the State of Qatar and be credible stewards of ASEAN values and ideals,” she said.

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