Philatelic Bureau of the Department of the Post issued new postage stamp in the denomination of Rs. 5.00 on the 01st of April 2012 for the 50th Anniversary of the Asian-Pacific Postal Union.
The idea of a restricted union in this par of the world came up first in the late 1950s. In order to give a concrete shape to the idea, after informal discussions, the Philippines government sent through diplomatic channels invitations to 18 countries for a roundtable in Manila on 10 - 23 January 1961. among the countries invited were Afghanistan, Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. The roundtable drew up the Asian-Oceanic Postal Convention.
The convention was to come into force on 01st April 1962. On that date, they formed a union among themselves and established its headquarters in Manila with Mr. Palomar, Postmaster General of Philippines as its first director. the headquarter was relocated to Bangkok in 2002.
In due course other countries of the Asian-Pacific region joined this regional postal union making it today an inter-governmental body of 32 countries namely: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Jarussalam, Cambodia, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea, Laos, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Solomon Island, Thailand, Tonga, Vanuatu and Vietnam.
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