ASEAN Summer Festival Held For The First Time In Kazakhstan – Embassy

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 (Bernama) – The inaugural ASEAN Summer Festival was held in Kazakhstan’s capital on Aug 23 as part of the ASEAN Day 2025 celebrations.

The event, organised by the ASEAN Committee comprising Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, took place at the Indonesian Cultural Centre.

It was held in conjunction with the 58th anniversary of ASEAN’s founding and the 11th anniversary of the committee’s establishment in Kazakhstan, according to the Embassy of Malaysia in Astana in a statement to Bernama.

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The festival attracted more than 1,000 visitors, including locals, ASEAN friends and foreign diplomats, who were treated to a variety of cultural performances such as music, dance, singing, traditional costume showcases, as well as culinary demonstrations and food tastings.

Malaysia’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Mohd Adli Abdullah, in his opening remarks, underlined Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship and invited the people of Kazakhstan to visit Malaysia in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY 2026).

The Malaysian Embassy also featured a booth showcasing batik crafts, fabrics and women’s accessories, while popular dishes such as satay, nasi lemak, curry puffs, vermicelli noodles, traditional cakes and teh tarik received overwhelming response from the local community.

Tourism Malaysia Almaty supported the event by bringing a cultural troupe that performed dances reflecting Malaysia’s ethnic and cultural diversity.

The presence of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 mascots, Wira and Manja, added to the festive atmosphere, particularly among children.

ASEAN Day is celebrated annually on Aug 8 to commemorate the founding of ASEAN through the Bangkok Declaration in 1967.

-- BERNAMA