On January 31, Consul (a.h.) Thelmo Cunanan Jr. was a guest speaker at the 2nd Hospitality and Management Students Summit at Adamson University. The topic for the talk was ASEAN Integration from the International Perspective. He was joined by fellow honorary consuls Anna Marie Ablan of Belarus and Michael Ang of Jordan.
In his talk, Consul Cunanan gave a brief description of Georgia, including a historical background and recent socio-cultural and political developments and a presentation of the country’s tourism highlights. Consul Cunanan discussed the parallels between the European Union and the 10-member ASEAN and Georgia’s own experience, the possible economic benefits of membership in the EU, and the recent events that have brought the country closer to the grouping.
The majority of his speech was dedicated to the importance of the ASEAN region to Georgia, as a strategic partner for trade and investments and socio-cultural exchanges. He mentioned the establishment of the Georgian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia and activities carried out by Ambassador Zurab Aleksidze to engage ASEAN. Finally, Consul Cunanan enumerated his own efforts to bring Georgia and the Philippines closer together. These include initiatives in business, culture and arts, media, education, and institutional partnerships.
