Sydney, February 21 (VNA) – An ASEAN village has been a big attraction at the 21st National Multicultural Festival recently held in Australia.
The colourful village consisted of a central stage and 10 stalls of traditional crafts and food run by 10 member nations.
Brunei High Commissioner in Canberra Zakaria Ahmad, also head of the ASEAN Committee in the city in 2017, said it is not the first time ASEAN member states have taken part in the festival, but it is the first time they have joined it together.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Luong Thanh Nghi said the village aims to promote ASEAN’s solidarity and diverse cultures to international friends.
Rachel Stephen-Smith, Minister for Multicultural Affairs at the Australian Capital Territory Government, called the ASEAN village an interesting destination, adding that the participation of the bloc members has been an indispensable part of the fair in the past two decades.
This year, Australia’s National Multicultural Festival, first held in 1996, comprised 400 stalls covering 10 km. It was estimated that 40 tonnes of food were consumed during the three-day event.
ASEAN and Australia have built their partnership over the past 42 years, with bilateral trade doubling to reach 100 billion AUD within the last decade. The figure accounted for 15 percent of Australia’s total trade revenue.
The colourful village consisted of a central stage and 10 stalls of traditional crafts and food run by 10 member nations.
Brunei High Commissioner in Canberra Zakaria Ahmad, also head of the ASEAN Committee in the city in 2017, said it is not the first time ASEAN member states have taken part in the festival, but it is the first time they have joined it together.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Luong Thanh Nghi said the village aims to promote ASEAN’s solidarity and diverse cultures to international friends.
Rachel Stephen-Smith, Minister for Multicultural Affairs at the Australian Capital Territory Government, called the ASEAN village an interesting destination, adding that the participation of the bloc members has been an indispensable part of the fair in the past two decades.
This year, Australia’s National Multicultural Festival, first held in 1996, comprised 400 stalls covering 10 km. It was estimated that 40 tonnes of food were consumed during the three-day event.
ASEAN and Australia have built their partnership over the past 42 years, with bilateral trade doubling to reach 100 billion AUD within the last decade. The figure accounted for 15 percent of Australia’s total trade revenue.
VNA/VNP
