Meet our ASEF Family and Friends
H.E. Ambassador Michaela FROŇKOVÁ of the Czech Republic to Singapore and Governor of ASEF
Ambassador Michaela FROŇKOVÁ has been involved in diplomacy for 24 years. She fulfilled her childhood dream by joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, even though she graduated in a completely different field, medical kinesiotherapy. At the end of the nineties of the last century, the Czech Republic was directed towards the EU and NATO, and people with a doctoral education and a language combination of English and French had a chance to succeed in the diplomatic selection procedures. Her first ambassadorial post was Morocco, then Lebanon and currently she is in Singapore, a country she very much wished to live and work. She always realized how her original studies in the medical field could contribute not only to the promotion of her country, but above all to the connection of different nations and mutual help between people.
How do you see ASEF as an organization in bringing the people of Asia and Europe closer?
It is my great pleasure that with my arrival in Singapore, I can simultaneously hold the position of governor of ASEF, an organization that not only has its important place in international relations, but also a very important role – it connects two continents in areas that, with their breadth and scope, allow a real knowledge of different cultures. ASEF fulfills this role very well.
What do you think is the biggest achievement of ASEF in its 25 years?
Although it is still a relatively young organization, what is a quarter of a century?, it has already achieved a lot. Apart from educational, cultural and socially beneficial programs and projects, I greatly appreciate the attention that ASEF pays to environmental protection and involves young people from all member countries, and it is their proposals, attitudes and contributions that significantly help the implementation of beneficial projects.
In ASEF, we have six core values: Accountability, Professionalism, Learning, Sustainability, Respect and Diversity. How do you see these values? And if you have to recommend one value for ASEF to pay closer attention to, what would it be?
ASEF stands for values that are valued in every country, society and in every relationship. Of the six fundamentals – accountability, professionalism, learning, sustainability, respect and diversity – I consider mutual respect to be the most valuable. Once you respect your partner, you are ready to listen to his opinion or problem carefully and with all seriousness, you can expect him to approach your opinions and challenges in the same way. And that is the first step to getting to know each other and starting cooperation. It is also a behavior that opens every door, even in cultures that are completely different and hold a different scale of values. I have yet to meet a partner in my career who did not respond to this approach in the same way.
As the Czech Republic in the EU Presidency, and as Regional Coordinator, what are some of the people-to-people priorities in the coming months?
My country now holds the presidency in the Council of the European Union for six months. We took over this imaginary scepter from France on July 1. Our presidency is of course marked by two very serious crises: the pandemic and Russian aggression in Ukraine. In particular, the war beyond the European Union’s eastern border had a significant impact on our priorities. It is our duty to take care of the people affected by the war, of the entire families who fled from it to our territory: to ensure schools for their children, access to the labor market for adults and health care for all. Nor can we neglect protection against further mutations of the Covid-19, which still has the potential to threaten our health. It is worth noting how the theme of healthcare resonates very strongly during our presidency, and even though it is a field far removed from diplomacy, it is one that has the power to really help in the real life of each of us.
What role can ASEF play in EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy that would enhance its relevance to all its (ASEF’s) members?
The Czech Presidency will also consistently implement the European Union Strategy for the Indo-Pacific, whose importance on the world map is obviously increasing. Again, it will be about cooperation in those areas that will really help people in their daily lives. Better predict and protect against natural disasters, better protect endangered species, and better defend against attacks and criminal behavior in cyberspace are ones of them. We want to fulfill these priorities in close cooperation with the ASEF. This can be very helpful precisely in the area of sustainability, which is closely related to the environment and therefore also to the protection of endangered species, as well as in the area of cyber space, which is closely related to teaching and education.
The screening of the film “Under the Roof” apparently became the first public event held by the Czech Embassy in Singapore since its establishment. In the Czech cultural scene, what would you recommend to our readers, especially those in Asia?
We would also like to link up more with ASEF in cultural activities, as the potential here is endless. For example, better presenting Czech film production to the Asian audience and vice versa would be a very meritorious act. At the recent screening of the Czech film “On the roof” as part of the European Film Festival in Singapore, we confirmed that the themes of humanity, help and coexistence of different characters of people are comprehensible and close to all of us, regardless of where we come from and where and in what conditions we grew up. The same applies to Czech classical music. Antonín Dvořák’s symphony “From the New World” is very popular among Asian listeners, as well as music by other Czech composers as Janáček, Smetana and Martinů. The Czech Embassy in Singapore would very much like to organize, in cooperation with ASEF, a concert evening of one of the Czech and one of the Singaporean composers, performed by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. The quality especially of this body is appreciated all over the world and its popularity in the European environment is boundless.
What are the cultural, education or intellectual exchanges or events organized by the Czech embassies or agencies in Asia that friends of ASEF should keep on their calendar?
That is why we also recommend all ASEF friends to follow the websites of Czech embassies on the Asian continent, as each of them organizes a number of cultural and socially beneficial events and their goal is always to bring the Czech and European environment as close as possible to the citizens of the countries in which they operate. This year, among other things, it is a commemoration of the 430th anniversary of the birth of Jan Ámos Comenius, the teacher of nations, as we like to talk about him. This important theologian, pedagogue, thinker and writer promoted school learning through play, dealt with the general theory of education, and created a special language teaching methodology. Although we are talking here about a philosopher and educator of the 17th century, his message lives on today and still has an international impact. Therefore, spreading the ideas of Jan Ámos Comenius still has its meaning, and introducing him to Asian friends is still relevant.
Any closing comments?
In conclusion, I must underline that the mutual recognition and linking of two continents with different historical, cultural and social development is in the hands of an organization such as ASEF a guarantee of organizing high-quality and valuable programs, projects, activities and at the same time providing relevant information on which grow friendship and respect between our countries.
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‘Meet our ASEF Family and Friends’ is an initiative where we want to introduce our ASEF Governors, staff, as well as resource experts, participants and friends who have or had some connections to ASEF – to our growing audiences. We hope to show the human side of our networks as we at ASEF strive to remain a core facilitator of people-to-people connectivity within the ASEM region.
About ASEF:
The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) is an intergovernmental, not-for-profit organisation which brings together the people of Asia and Europe to address common challenges. Founded in 1997, it is the only permanent institution of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) political dialogue Process and is publicly funded by voluntary contributions from 53 ASEM Partners.
ASEF promotes understanding, strengthens relationships and facilitates cooperation among the people, institutions and organisations of Asia and Europe. ASEF encourages collaboration across the thematic areas of culture, economy, education, governance, media, sustainable development, and public health. Over the past 25 years, ASEF has brought together more than 40,000 people from Asia and Europe, through seminars, workshops, conferences, publications, web portals, grants, and public talks.
For more information, please visit www.ASEF.org