On September 25, Consul Cunanan was the guest speaker at a symposium entitled “Delineating Corporate Leadership in Preparing Future Business Frontrunners and Managers in a Borderless World”. The event, which was attended by graduating students of the International School of Asia and the Pacific, was held at the main ballroom of the Subic Bay International Hotel at Subic Freeport.

In his speech,  entitled “International Relations and Global Opportunities: the Georgian Experience” and accompanied by a multimedia presentation, Consul Cunanan introduced Georgia to the students, focusing on the country’s demographics, history, and tourism highlights. However, the main thrust of his talk was to explain Georgia’s political, cultural, and economic engagements with the European Union and neighbouring countries like Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkey. Specifically, Consul Cunanan focused on the economic benefits of Georgia’s possible inclusion in the EU and the country’s strategic advantage, being located in the center of the Caucasus, as a potential hydroelectric, manufacturing, agriculture, and transhipment hub for the entire region and further afield, to Western Europe.

Consul Cunanan also underscored the importance placed by Georgia on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The ten-country grouping is one of the fastest growth areas in the world with a combined population of 650 million people and an economy worth US$3.5 trillion.  According to Consul Cunanan, Georgia is eyeing strong trade, tourism, and cultural exchanges with ASEAN, especially with the coming ASEAN Economic Community in 2015. In this regard, Ambassador Zurab Aleksidze of the Embassy of Georgia in Indonesia recently called on Mr. Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN, and discussed the desire of Georgia to strengthen ties with Southeast Asia.

As an example of greater Georgian – ASEAN friendship and understanding, Consul Cunanan enumerated his many socio-economic and cultural activities in the Philippines, one of ASEAN’s founding members. These include regular tri-media promotions and marketing for Georgia, regular film festivals and exhibitions, academic exchanges between Philippine and Georgian educational institutions, partnerships between government and non-government organizations and agencies, lecture talks and speaking engagements, and nationwide tourism campaigns.