ASEAN Heads of Missions Meet with Secretary General of Brazilian Ministry of External Relations

Philippine Ambassador to Brazil Jose D.R. Burgos joined the ASEAN Heads of Missions in Brasilia from the Embassies of Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam in meeting with Secretary-General Sergio Franca Danese of the Ministry of External Relations (MRE) of Brazil on August 25.

During the meeting, Ambassador Danese emphasized the need to strengthen closer relations and cooperation with ASEAN as an emerging bloc in Asia, noting the big potential of the region in business, trade, social, tourism, and cultural cooperation. In the latter portion of Ambassador Danese´s short talk, he reaffirmed the Brazilian Government´s desire to continue to work with ASEAN in terms of more dialogue and cooperation towards the future status of Brazil as a Dialogue Partner of ASEAN.  

Vietnamese Ambassador  Nguyen Van Kien, in his capacity as the Chairman of the ASEAN Committee in Brasilia (ACB) speaking for the group, thanked the Secretary General for the latter´s kind accommodation to meet with the seven ASEAN Heads of Missions in Brasília. Ambassador Burgos, picking up from the latter portion of Secretary-General Danese´s short talk before the lunch meeting, spoke about Brazil´s ultimate desire of becoming an ASEAN Dialogue Partner as an avenue to enhance more meetings, exchange of visits of high officials and businessmen, and the forging of more cooperative programs  in business, trade, tourism, and cultural pursuits. The Philippine Ambassador also expressed sincerest gratitude and appreciation to the Secretary General, on behalf of the ACB Chairman for the latter’s support to the Philippine Embassy and the ASEAN Committee in Brasilia, as a whole.

MRE (Itamaraty) officials who joined the luncheon meeting were Ambasssador Jose Alfredo Graca Lima, Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs, Ambassador Francisco Mauro do Brasil de Holanda, Director of East Asia Department, Minister Maria Cristina de Castro Martins, Chief of ASEAN and Timor Leste Division, Mr. Claudio Garon,  Executive Assistant of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other MRE officials.

Source: www.dfa.gov.ph Date accessed: 18 August 2015