Vietnam assumes the rotating chairmanship of the ASEAN Committee in Washington.

On August 29th, in Washington DC, Vietnam officially assumed the rotating chairmanship of the ASEAN Committee in Washington (ACW) from Thailand.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung speaks at the ceremony for receiving the ACW chairmanship from Thailand.

The handover ceremony, attended by representatives from ASEAN member states, marks a new phase in ASEAN's activities in the United States. As the Chair of the ACW for the next four months, Vietnam will preside over several joint activities of the bloc, aimed at strengthening and promoting cooperation and understanding with the United States in general.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung expressed his gratitude to the Ambassador and the Thai Embassy for their role in coordinating ASEAN activities over the past four months, and highly appreciated Thailand's organization of several outstanding events, especially the celebration of ASEAN Day on August 8th.

Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung said he would strive to maintain ACW's momentum over the next four months and expand substantive connections with partners.

Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung expressed his gratitude to the Ambassador and the Thai Embassy for their role in coordinating ASEAN activities over the past four months.

Regarding future plans, Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung stated that Vietnam has prepared several specific programs and will gradually share more detailed information as updates become available.

September is expected to include celebrations of the national days of Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam, a series of events at the United Nations General Assembly, and the welcoming of the two new ambassadors of Laos and Indonesia.

October is expected to feature an event celebrating Timor-Leste's accession to ASEAN and an activity on artificial intelligence (AI).

In November, a meeting is scheduled with the Secretary of Transportation and Director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Sean Duffy.

December is expected to see a joint event promoting the cultures of all ASEAN countries in Washington.

Concluding his remarks, Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung expressed his hope to continue receiving cooperation from ASEAN member states throughout his term as ACW chair.

Ceremony for the presentation of the ASEAN Chairman's gavel.

The chairmanship handover ceremony concluded with the presentation of the chairman's gavel and the ASEAN flag, followed by a networking session between representatives of ASEAN embassies in Washington DC and their local counterparts.

Here are some photos from the ceremony:

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/viet-nam-tiep-nhan-vai-tro-chu-tich-luan-phien-uy-ban-asean-tai-washington-326125.html