The ASEAN Committee in Rome (ACR) Ambassadors during the celebration of the ASEAN Day at the Malaysian Embassy in Rome on 08 August 2018. L-R: Indonesian Ambassador Esti Andayani, Malaysian Ambassador Dato’ Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino, Myanmar Ambassador Myint Naung, Philippine Ambassador Domingo Nolasco, Thai Ambassador Tana Weskosith and Viet Nam Embassy representative Do Hai Long.

08 August 2018, Rome – Philippine Ambassador to Italy, Domingo P. Nolasco joined the other ASEAN Ambassadors in Rome in celebrating the ASEAN Day in a ceremony held at the Malaysian Embassy in Rome. Malaysian Ambassador Dato’ Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino, current Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Rome (ACR), hosted the celebration.

The current ACR chairperson, Ambassador Castelino of Malaysia, underscored that from its establishment 51 years ago, ASEAN has become one of the fast-growing economies in the region with a huge market and consumer base of more than 620 million people and an economy of EURO2.25 trillion. He noted the keen interest of the Italian government to strengthen relations with the ASEAN and its member states.

Ms. Valentina Muiesan, Head of the Southeast Asia and Pacific Division of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFAIC), said that Italy’s engagements with ASEAN countries have been growing in the last years, citing the increasing numbers of political consultations, visits and exchanges between Italy and ASEAN member states.

Other ACR members, Ambassador Esti Andayani of Indonesia, Ambassador Myint Naung of Myanmar, Ambassador Tana Weskosith of Thailand and Mr. Do Hai Long of Viet Nam, were present during the celebration.

ASEAN or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, was founded on 08 August 1967 in Bangkok.

The ASEAN Committee in Rome (ACR) Ambassadors ceremonially cut the cake during the celebration of the ASEAN Day at the Malaysian Embassy in Rome on 08 August 2018.