H.E. Mr. Nopporn Adchariyavanich, Ambassador of Thailand to Finland hosted the first ASEAN Helsinki Committee meeting on 22 May 2017, in his capacity as Chairperson of the ASEAN Helsinki Committee for 2017, at the office of the Royal Thai Embassy, Helsinki. Attending the said meeting were H.E. Mrs Blanche Olbery, Ambassador of Malaysia to Finland, H.E. Mrs Wiwiek Setyawati Firman, Ambassador of Indonesia to Finland, and H.E. Mrs Thi Ngoc Bich Pham, Ambassador of Vietnam to Finland. Responsible diplomats of the said embassies also joined the meeting. The committee agreed to arrange a variety of joint ASEAN activities within 2017, to commemorate the auspicious anniversaries in this year. These were namely, the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN, and the 100^th anniversary of Finland’s independence.  In this regard, the committee would hold a Flag - Raising Ceremony on 8 August 2017 (known as ASEAN Day, when ASEAN was established in 1967), and invite the diplomatic corps and dignitaries from Finland to witness the ceremony. The committee would also co-organize an “ASEAN Day” event on 15 September 2017 at the University of Helsinki, which would include a seminar entitled “ASEAN: The Next 50 Years” followed by an ASEAN Trade and Investment Promotion Seminar. Additionally, other ASEAN activities to be held within 2017 would include, the ASEAN Food Festival, the ASEAN Film Festival, and the ASEAN Family Day. The Royal Thai Embassy will hold the Chairmanship of the ASEAN Helsinki Committee until the end of 2017.