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On Thursday, 8 August 2024, Ambassador Dato' Azhar Mazlan attended the 57th anniversary of ASEAN Day hosted by His Excellency Colonel (Retd) Pengiran Haji Kamal Bashah Bin Pengiran Haji Ahmad, High Commissioner of Brunei Darussalam to Pakistan in his capacity as the Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Islamabad (ACI) at Serena Hotel, Islamabad. H.E. Mr. Musadik Masood Malik, Federal Minister for Petroleum and Water Resources of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan graced the event as Chief Guest. The event was attended close to 200 people including Dean of Diplomatic Corps, ASEAN HOMs. Dialogue and Sectoral Partners as well as other HOMs based in Islamabad.

In his remarks, His Excellency Colonel (Retd) Pengiran Haji Kamal Bashah, High Commissioner of Brunei Darussalam and the Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Islamabad (ACI) stated that since its establishment on 8 August 1967, ASEAN hasd been a cornerstone of regional stability and growth. With a combined population of over 690 million people and a combined GDP surpassing 3.6 trillion USD, ASEAN had emerged as one of the significant political and economic player in the global stage.

The High Commissioner further said that this year’s theme, “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience,” was particularly timely and significant as we try to navigate ourselves within the complexities of this modern world. He added that the world had undoubtedly been facing numerous global challenges, including the aftermath of the pandemic, regional conflicts, economic uncertainties, and the urgent need of combating the climate change phenomena. In these challenging times, regional organization like ASEAN will continue to play a crucial role in fostering multilateral cooperation in the effort of effectively addressing these issues’. Dilating upon relations between ASEAN and Pakistan the High Commissioner said, the partnership between ASEAN and Pakistan was rich in history and continues to flourish, grounded in mutual respect and shared goals.

Since Pakistan was accorded sectoral dialogue status with ASEAN in 1993, ASEAN cooperation had expanded across numerous sectors, including trade, investment, science and technology, environment, tourism, and human resources development. He maintained that this relationship could be seen in many different forms over the years, including Pakistan’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) in 2004 and the establishment of the ASEAN-Pakistan Joint Sectoral Cooperation Committee (AP-JSCC) which has been instrumental in enhancing our collaboration’.