ASEAN Community officially born

On December 31, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman announced that the formal ASEAN Community was established, marking an important milestone in the history of the Association.

Illustration photo.

Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said Malaysia warmly welcomed the establishment of the ASEAN Community. He stressed that this would further enhance community building and regional integration, as well as implement commitments under the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together.

Previously, at the 48th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur on August 6, the Ministers affirmed ASEAN’s commitment to continue efforts towards building a politically cohesive, economically integrated and socially responsible ASEAN community by the end of this year. The ASEAN Vision after 2015 will guide the community’s activities in the next 10 years.

The conference also agreed on a vision that, based on the achievements that have been made, ASEAN will continue the process of building the bloc, promoting deeper and more comprehensive integration, and close cooperation in all fields.

The ASEAN Community offers many opportunities with three main pillars: economic, political-security and cultural-social. Photo: ASEAN.

The ASEAN Community will truly be people-centered, as the theme of the final year when ASEAN reaches the Common Community is “Our People, Our Community, Our Vision”, strengthening relations with partners to gain ASEAN’s support and assistance in the process of forming the community, but promoting ASEAN’s central role and responsibility in the international arena, thereby enhancing ASEAN’s prestige and influence.

According to VOV.VN