The new Thailand Permanent Representative to ASEAN, Ambassador Phasporn Sangasubana, presented her Letter of Credence to the Secretary-General of ASEAN Le Luong Minh, at a ceremony held at the ASEAN Secretariat yesterday.
SG Minh welcomed Ambassador Phasporn to ASEAN, particularly in this momentous year when ASEAN celebrates its Golden Jubilee. Fifty years since the signing of the 1967 Bangkok Declaration, ASEAN has turned a new chapter in its history with the proclamation of a Community in December 2015. SG Minh reiterated that the role of the Committee of Permanent Representatives has become increasingly important since then, especially with the enhanced mandate to consolidate the work of the three pillars of ASEAN Community and to strengthen ASEAN’s relations with the Dialogue Partners and other external parties. SG Minh also commended Thailand’s leadership on ASEAN’s cooperation with the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as the promotion of the complementarities between the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the 2030 United Nations Agenda on Sustainable Development.
Ambassador Phasporn underlined the need to enhance ASEAN Connectivity, through, among others, fostering cooperation under the framework of ASEAN Single Window and intensifying the public-private partnership. She emphasised that commitment of ASEAN Member States as well as continued support from all relevant stakeholders are the important requisites in this undertaking.
Both SG Minh and Ambassador Phasporn recognised the prevailing challenges in raising the awareness of ASEAN peoples, thus, called for more extensive outreach activities to ensure that the peoples are involved in and fully benefit from the ASEAN integration and community building process.
Ambassador Phasporn has a vast background and experience in ASEAN affairs. Prior to the appointment as the Permanent Representative, Ambassador Phasporn served as the Deputy Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand.
###
