REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - The ASEAN Secretariat held drawing contest to celebrate the organization's 45th anniversary in Jakarta. The best drawings from ASEAN Member States competed to be the ASEAN-Wide Winner. The winner for category 1 (6-12 years) is Myanmar's Kaung Wai Yan, while the winner for category 2 is Vietnam's Hoang Phuong Linh.

The celebration was begun with flag hoisting ceremony accompanied by the ASEAN way anthem sung by ASEC choir. The Secretary General of ASEAN, Surin Pitsuwan, thanked Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marty Natalegawa for hosting such event.

"We truly appreciate the work, the contribution, and the cooperation of dialogue partners as you have done so much," Pitsuwan said.

Meanwhile, Marty on his remarks said that ASEAN must focus on two points, community building and peace building. Community building towards ASEAN Community 2015, he said, should become the joint effort.

"The second is that ASEAN should create peace building in our region. We must continue to merger. We must overcome challenges as one," Marty said.

Ambassador of European Union Julian Wilson, representing Dialogue Partner Countries, said that regional integration was important. ASEAN, he said, succeeded because it was a good idea. "Ten together achieves more than ten apart," he said.

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