Announcing the logo for 50 years of ASEAN-New Zealand relations, Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn accepted an invitation to attend the ASEAN Future Forum

Ambassador Ton Thi Ngoc Huong officially delivered a letter from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son inviting the ASEAN Secretary-General to attend the ASEAN Future Forum 2025.

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, New Zealand Ambassador to ASEAN Stuart Calman and Ambassador Ton Thi Ngoc Huong officially launched the logo to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-New Zealand Dialogue Partnership. (Source: ASEAN Secretariat)

On the afternoon of January 9, at the ASEAN Secretariat headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia, a ceremony was held to announce the logo to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN-New Zealand Dialogue Partnership (1975-2025), officially launching activities to celebrate the important milestone in the relationship between ASEAN and New Zealand.

Ambassador, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to ASEAN Ton Thi Ngoc Huong, together with ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn, New Zealand Ambassador to ASEAN Stuart Calman and Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives of ASEAN member countries attended the event.

Under the witness of the delegates, Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn, Ambassador Stuart Calman and Ambassador, Head of the Vietnamese Mission to ASEAN officially announced the logo to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN-New Zealand Dialogue Partnership.

The logo is designed with the distinctive motifs and colours of ASEAN and New Zealand to convey the message of strength, resilience and solidarity, trust and mutual respect which are the foundation of the relationship between the two sides.

Delegates at the announcement ceremony pose for a group photo. (Source: ASEAN Secretariat)

On behalf of the Ambassadors of ASEAN countries, Ambassador, Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to ASEAN Ton Thi Ngoc Huong emphasized that New Zealand is one of the long-term and reliable partners that has accompanied ASEAN on the long journey of the past 5 decades. The ASEAN-New Zealand partnership has been increasingly strengthened in both breadth and depth in many areas, reflecting the common interests that both sides share as well as demonstrating the common responsibility to contribute to peace , stability and prosperity in the region.

Ambassador Ton Thi Ngoc Huong affirmed that, in her role as coordinator of ASEAN-New Zealand relations, Vietnam will closely cooperate with ASEAN member countries and New Zealand, striving to achieve substantive results in this important anniversary year, including actively preparing for the Summit to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-New Zealand relations and expanding and upgrading relations in the new period.

Ambassador Ton Thi Ngoc Huong officially delivered a letter from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son inviting the ASEAN Secretary-General to attend the ASEAN Future Forum 2025. (Source: ASEAN Secretariat)

On the same afternoon, Ambassador Ton Thi Ngoc Huong met with ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn, officially delivering a letter from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son inviting the Secretary General to attend the ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) 2025 to be held in Hanoi.

Ambassador Ton Thi Ngoc Huong also discussed with the Secretary General the coordination between the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat to implement the rotating tasks that Vietnam undertakes, including coordinating ASEAN-New Zealand relations, ASEAN-UK relations, and Chairing the Task Force on Narrowing the Development Gap in ASEAN.

The Ambassador expressed his hope that the Secretary-General will continue to pay attention to and support the Vietnamese staff working at the ASEAN Secretariat as well as Vietnamese citizens who wish to apply to work at the Secretariat.

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn receives Ambassador Ton Thi Ngoc Huong. (Source: ASEAN Secretariat)

Expressing his sincere thanks for the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and affirming that he will arrange to attend the AFF, Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn highly appreciated Vietnam's initiative and contribution through organizing the Forum as well as the great success of the AFF held for the first time in April 2024.

Affirming that he and the Secretariat will actively support Vietnam in taking on important responsibilities in ASEAN, the Secretary-General emphasized that he will always strive to create conditions for Secretariat staff to promote their capacity and effectively contribute to the common work of ASEAN, and welcomes Vietnamese citizens to apply to work at the Secretariat.

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