Owner and Publisher of Diplomatic SOCIETY Magazine Gertrud Tauchhammer together with the Ambassadors and Heads of Diplomatic and Permanent Missions of the ASEAN countries in Vienna, H.E. Damos Dumoli Agusman (Indonesia), H.E. Khampheng Douangthongla (Lao PDR), Chargé d’Affaires Mohd Ridzwan bin Shahabudin (Malaysia), H.E. Min Thein (Myanmar), H.E. Evangelina Lourdes A. Bernas (Philippines), Chargé d’Affaires Jophie Tang (Singapore), H.E. Pattarat Hongtong (Thailand) and H.E. Le Thai Hoang Vu (Viet Nam), invited to a reception with the theme „ASEAN Heritage and Harmony through Rice“ at Eurostars Grand Hotel Wien. After the guests were greeted by the moderator of the evening, Ambassador emerit. Dr. Klaus Wölfer, H.E. Evangelina Lourdes A. Bernas, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Philippines as well as Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Vienna (AVC), addressed the invitees, pointing out the relevance of ASEAN as an intergovernmental forum and rice as a connecting factor between the member states. The Ambassador’s remarks were followed by words by host Gertrud Tauchhammer, who welcomed the international guests, and remarks by Christoph Meyenburg, Deputy Director of Protocol of the Ministry for European and International Affairs. To round off the evening, the Embassies and Missions organized a cultural programme with performances like a „Tari Piring“, a plate dance from Indonesia, a tourism video by the Embassy of Lao PDR, a Bongsu Silat (Martial Arts) performance from Malaysia, a traditional Thingyan Dance Performance from Myanmar, an interpretation of the song „Leron Leron Sinta“ by Filipino soprano Maria Zavala, a cultural video about Singapore’s Food and Taste Makers, a traditional Thai Dance performance „Ram Chui Chai Benjakai“ and a showcase of one of the most iconic symbols of Vietnamese culture – an „Ao dai“ performance. Last but not least, the „main actor of the evening“ – rice – was served in the form of traditional dishes, both salty and sweet.
