ASEAN leaders agree to further promote culture

Leaders from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have adopted a Statement on the ASEAN Culture Year 2019 in Bangkok on Saturday to conduct various activities under the theme of Diversity, Creativity, and Sustainability.

According to the statement, the leaders agreed to proclaim 2019 the ASEAN Culture Year, to promote appreciation for ASEAN culture, respect for diversity and a greater sense of ASEAN identity as well as promote ASEAN culture internationally as a driver for creative industries, cultural tourism, and sustainable development.

Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states and ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi (1st R) pose for a group photo during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, June 22, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak]

The leaders agreed to showcase ASEAN culture in the form of possible modalities for implementation including roadshow and exhibition outside ASEAN.

The leaders also agreed to support the operation of the ASEAN Cultural Center in Bangkok, an interactive learning center on ASEAN culture, to promote dialogue and cooperation with similar centers and institutions in ASEAN member states.

The 34th ASEAN Summit kicked off on Saturday in Bangkok with an ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, followed by the Plenary Session of 34th ASEAN Summit and etc.

ASEAN, established in 1967, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.