ASEAN Day Reception to celebrate the 52nd Anniversary of ASEAN

On September 10, 2019, His Excellency Thani Thongphakdi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the United States of America, and his spouse, Mrs. Noppanuch Thongphakdi, together with other ASEAN member countries Ambassadors to Washington, D.C. co-hosted the ASEAN Day 2019 Reception at the Royal Thai Embassy, Washington, D.C. on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

At the event, Ambassador Thani emphasized vital role of ASEAN in promoting dialogue and cooperation among parties in the region, as well as the importance of building stronger partnership with its dialogue partners, including the U.S. The strategic partnership between ASEAN and the U.S. spans across areas such as counter-terrorism, trade, investment, and education, and benefits people from both sides.

The Honorable Matthew Pottinger, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asian Affairs, National Security Council, and the Honorable Ted Yoho, Ranking Member on Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and Nonproliferation, Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives also reiterated the importance of close partnership between the U.S. and ASEAN and praised ASEAN’s central role in the Indo-Pacific regional architecture.

Among the guests were ASEAN Ambassadors, diplomatic corps, U.S. Government agencies, U.S. Congress, business community, academia, and think-tanks. The guests enjoyed a variety of cuisines from 10 ASEAN countries.

Ambassador’s welcoming remarks: https://thaiembdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Welcome-Remark-ASEAN-DAY-9th-September-2019.pdf