On 14 May 2014, ASEAN Committee in Brasilia (ACB), which comprised Head of Missions of ASEAN member-countries in Brasilia, together with Institute of International Relations of University of Brasilia held a seminar on ASEAN entitled "Towards the ASEAN Community: Prospects and Challenges".

 

On this occasion, Ambassador Francisco Mauro Brasil de Holanda, Director of the Department of East Asia, Ministry of External Relations of Brazil presided over the Opening Ceremony and delivered remarks on relations between ASEAN and Brazil.

 

During the seminar, ASEAN ambassadors and Chargé d'Affaire took turn to highlight some prospects and challenges of ASEAN Economic Community as well as ASEAN Political and Security Community, external partners of ASEAN Community, roles of Chairmanship in ASEAN and economic cooperation between Latin America and ASEAN. Ambassador of Thailand made a conclusion on ASEAN's future and pointed out some important challenges for ASEAN in the future, namely, climate changes and natural disasters, interaction between major players in the region and the South China Sea.

 

The seminar received a lot of attention from over 100 participants, including UnB's teachers and students as well as officials from the Brazilian Foreign Ministry.