The 44th ASEAN Day was commemorated with the hoisting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) flag on a permanent basis for the first time in Chennai at the Consulate General of the Republic of Singapore here on Monday.
A release stated that the function was attended by Ajit Singh, Consul-General of Singapore, in the presence of Chanchai Charanvatnakit, Consul-General of Thailand, Anuar Kasman, Consul-General of Malaysia and Aksamil Khair, Director of Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre.
As mandated by the 18th ASEAN Summit on May 7 and 8 in Jakarta, the flag will be flown at the ASEAN National Secretariats of individual ASEAN Member States (AMS), AMS' diplomatic and consular missions in AMS and Dialogue Partners, including all Member States of the European Union and AMS' missions where the United Nations Headquarters and offices are located, the release said.
Accordingly, all ASEAN missions in Chennai will fly the ASEAN flag alongside their respective national flags from August 8 onwards, the release added.
Giving details about the flag, the release said it stood as a symbol of Member States' unity and support for the principles and endeavours of ASEAN and was meant to promote greater ASEAN awareness and solidarity.
Besides, the flag represented a stable, peaceful, united and dynamic ASEAN.
The colours of the flag – blue, red, white and yellow – represented the main colours of the flags of all the ASEAN Member States.
Blue represented peace and stability. red depicted courage and dynamism, white showed purity and yellow symbolised prosperity, the release said.
