JAKARTA, 11 March 2026 – The newly-appointed Ambassador Bernardo de Sicart Escoda presented his Letter of Credence to the Secretary-General of ASEAN, H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat today, marking the official assumption of his post as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to ASEAN.

Secretary-General Dr. Kao congratulated Ambassador Bernardo de Sicart Escoda on his appointment and reaffirmed the ASEAN Secretariat’s readiness to work closely with him and the Government of Spain to strengthen ASEAN-Spain relations, both through bilateral copperation and within the framework of the ASEAN-European Union Dialogue Partnership. Ambassador Bernardo de Sicart Escoda underscored Spain’s commitment to advancing cooperation with ASEAN in strategic sectors, such as trade and investment, sustainable infrastructure, energy transition, digital transformation, and connectivity.

Secretary-General Dr. Kao further encouraged the Ambassador to engage with the diplomatic community in Jakarta, in particular with the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR). Both sides looked forward to Spain’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) this year. Ambassador de Sicart Escoda also informed of Spain’s intention to establish mechanisms for political dialogue and cooperation with ASEAN, in line with Spain’s Strategy for the Asia-Pacific 2026–2029.

Ambassador Bernardo de Sicart Escoda is the fifth Ambassador of Spain to ASEAN. He succeeds Ambassador Francisco Aguilera Aranda, who completed his tenure in July 2025.

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