On 8 August 2022, H.E. Urawadee Sriphiromya, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Thailand to ASEAN, attended ASEAN Day celebration at the ASEAN Secretariat to commemorate the 55^th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN. The event was also attended by H.E. Retno Marsudi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of ASEAN, Permanent Representatives of ASEAN Member States and Ambassadors of ASEAN Dialogue Partners.  

This year, the ASEAN Day’s celebration was held physically at the ASEAN Secretariat after 3 years of virtual celebration since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Activities that Ambassador and Permanent Representatives of ASEAN Member States attended included ASEAN Flag Hoisting Ceremony, ASEAN Anthem performed by ASEAN Secretariat’s Choir, keynote speeches by the Secretary-General of ASEAN, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and H.E. Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Cambodia (via videoconferencing) as well as C asean Musical Performance, Sand Animator Performance under the theme ‘Moving Forward, Stronger Together’, ASEAN-Maybank Scholarship Award Ceremony 2022 and Cake-Cutting Ceremony to celebrate the 55^th anniversary of ASEAN.

At the opening ceremony, the Secretary-General of ASEAN stated that ASEAN is firmly recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic with projected GDP growth at 4.9% this year, and ASEAN needs to be prepared for emerging challenges and should prioritize on issues such as open regionalism, digital transformation, participation of youth and environment and sustainability. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia emphasized the importance of consolidating ASEAN unity, reinforcing ASEAN centrality and strengthening ASEAN reliability to maintaining ASEAN relevance to its people, the region and the world.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, in his video message, reiterated the significance of togetherness to overcome challenges under the aspiration for “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”

The Permanent Mission of Thailand to ASEAN wishes to express heartfelt congratulations on the remarkable achievements of ASEAN that contribute to the people  for generations throughout the past 55 since its establishment which began from the exchanges between the Founding Members at Laemtaen, Chonburi, Thailand, to the signing of the Bangkok Declaration by the Foreign Ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand at Saranrom Palace on 8 August 1967.

Photos Courtesy of the ASEAN Secretariat