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Celebration of ASEAN's 56th Anniversary in The Hague

Indonesia successfully hosted the celebration of the 56th Anniversary of ASEAN (ASEAN Day) on 8 August 2023 at the Ambassador’s Residence in Wassenaar. Indonesia is currently the Chair of the ASEAN Committee in The Hague (abbreviated as ACTH) for the second semester of 2023.

The event began with the ASEAN flag raising ceremony by the Flag Raising Troop of the Indonesian School in The Hague (SIDH) accompanied by the ASEAN Anthem, followed by remarks by the Indonesian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Mr. Mayerfas, and the Director for Asia and Oceania of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Ambassador Karin Mössenlechner.

Ambassador Mayerfas said that ASEAN is the most successful and peaceful regional organization in the world despite its diversity and various challenges both internally and externally. Ambassador Mayerfas encouraged ASEAN Dialogue Partners and external parties to continue working together in creating a peaceful, stable, resilient, and prosperous region, and to be optimistic that ASEAN would become the world’s major economic power in 2045.

The event was also enlivened by cultural performances and special dishes from each ACTH country. Indonesia presented an angklung performance of Michael Jackson’s Heal The World and a folk song, Rek Ayo Rek.

ASEAN Day was attended by around 150 invitees, consisting of ASEAN Ambassadors accredited to the Netherlands and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) both based in the Netherlands and Belgium, Ambassadors and representatives of ASEAN Dialogue Partners based in the Netherlands, representatives of international organizations based in the Netherlands, representatives of diaspora from each ACTH country who reside in the Netherlands, and Embassy officials of each ACTH country.

ASEAN Family Gathering in The Hague

The ASEAN Family Gathering was successfully held on 6 August 2023 at the Indonesian School in The Hague (SIDH). This activity was attended by nearly 190 participants consisting of the extended families of the Embassies of the ASEAN Committee in The Hague (abbreviated as ACTH) member countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

This is the first program of Indonesia’s chairmanship of the ACTH in the second half of 2023, as well as to celebrate ASEAN’s 56th Anniversary on 8 August 2023.

The excitement of the family gathering can be seen from the enthusiasm of the participants when they took part in various friendly competitions and the opportunity to enjoy special dishes from each ACTH country.

Indonesia's Chairmanship to the ACTH

Indonesia officially became Chair of the ASEAN Committee in The Hague (ACTH) for the second semester of 2023. On 17 July 2023, the Malaysian Ambassador to the Netherlands, H.E. Dato’ Nadzirah Osman, handed over the chairmanship of ACTH to the Indonesian Ambassador to the Netherlands, H.E. Mayerfas.

Ambassador Mayerfas expressed his appreciation to Ambassador Dato’ Nadzirah Osman for Malaysia’s leadership in ACTH for the first semester of 2023. Ambassador Mayerfas also said that Indonesia’s leadership program for the next six months will focus on increasing awareness regarding ASEAN and increasing engagement with stakeholders in the Netherlands.