ASEAN Ministerial Meeting opens tommorow

Deputy PM, FM Pham Binh Minh will attend these last meetings before the ASEAN Community encompassing political-security, economic, and socio-cultural pillars will be set up by the end of this year.

ASEAN has realized more than 90% of their actions lines envisioned under the blueprints of the pillars, said Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.

The Asean Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint has 229 action lines while the Asean Political-Security Community (APSC) and Asean Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprints have 147 and 339 action lines, respectively.

The AEC eyes the goal of regional economic integration by 2015, envisaging a single market and production base, a highly competitive economic region, a region of equitable economic development, and a region fully integrated into the global economy.

The APSC aims to ensure that countries in the region live at peace with one another and with the world in a just, democratic and harmonious environment.

Meanwhile, the ASCC aims to contribute to realising an ASEAN Community that is people-oriented and socially responsible with a view to achieving enduring solidarity and unity among the people and ASEAN member states.

The Malaysia Foreign Miniser said his country has underlined eight priorities during its ASEAN chairmanship in 2015, namely to formally establish the Asean Community, develop the ASEAN Community’s Post-2015 Vision; steer ASEAN closer to its people; and strengthen the development of SMEs in the region.

The rest are to expand intra-ASEAN trade and investment, strengthen ASEAN’s institutions, promote regional peace and security, and enhance ASEAN’s role as a global player, he added./.

By Quang Minh