The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will launch ASEAN Week on Tuesday in the capital Ankara with several activities designed to enhance ties between Türkiye and member countries.
In the first of such an event, a film screening and photography and handicraft exhibitions will be presented by ASEAN members Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The opening ceremony of the program will be hosted by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) and the events will continue until Friday.
Speaking to Daily Sabah, Thailand’s Ambassador to Türkiye and the chair of the ASEAN Ankara Committee (AAC), Apirat Sugondhabhirom, highlighted that ASEAN and Türkiye are celebrating the association's 55th anniversary together as well as the fifth anniversary of the sectoral dialogue partnership.
"We believe that the successful organization of ASEAN Week is a testament to the ASEAN-Türkiye growing partnership," the ambassador added.
Sugondhabhirom also noted that ASEAN countries each have their unique cultures and customs that will be interesting for Turkish friends to discover. "We hope that the cultural activities organized here at YTB will help raise awareness about ASEAN culture and traditions as well as the ASEAN-Türkiye relationship amongst the Turkish public."
To improve ties with Asian countries in different areas, Türkiye in 2019 launched the Asia Anew initiative. The initiative offers a new vision that might shape the future of Turkish foreign policy as a whole. It aims to improve ties with Asian countries in various areas, including education, the defense industry, investments, trade, technology, culture and political dialogue.
Türkiye views ASEAN as a key organization in the region, considering its combined economy, dynamic population and strategic location. Türkiye applied to become a sectoral dialogue partner to ASEAN in 2015 and its application was accepted on Aug. 5, 2017, during the 50th meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers held in the Philippines.
