The upcoming 13th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) to be opened in Singapore tomorrow will focus on the ASEAN
Charter and regional integration.
Founded in August 1967, ASEAN went through 40 years, which has helped lift up
the status of southeastern Asian countries as a whole in the international
arena.
In order to be more ready to face challenges, ASEAN needs a legal foundation
and institutional framework for building up the regional integration.
In 2005, ASEAN leaders decided to introduce a Charter for the bloc, and hoped
to realize ASEAN's long-term goal of becoming a closely integrated regional
entity through the implementation of the Charter.
During the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting last July in Manila, the Philippines,
all the participants agreed to endorse the Charter at this year's summit.
In an interview with local media, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong,
whose country currently holds the chairmanship of ASEAN, said ASEAN member
states need to work together to address the challenges confronting the region.
"A strong ASEAN Charter will be a powerful signal of our political resolve to
do so," he added.
Singapore senior officials who took part in drafting the Charter also said
the Charter will make ASEAN more strong and effective.
To realize ASEAN's goal of building "a caring and sharing community," leaders
for the 13th summit will also talk about the regional integration, especially in
the area of economy.
As a regional cooperation group comprising Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, ASEAN has
been working for economic integration since its establishment.
Now, with a population of about 600 million and over US$1 trillion of gross
domestic product (GDP), ASEAN is showing its great economic potential. Not only
has it established Free Trade Area internally, but also signed free trade
agreements with China, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and others, showing
its ambition and confidence to play more important role in global trade.
During the 12th summit in January in the Philippines, heads of state and
government of the members decided to establish the ASEAN Community by 2015, five
years ahead of the initial schedule.
To keep efforts on track, the more developed ASEAN members can and should
take the lead in setting the pace of integration for the rest to follow,
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said.
"We should look for creative and flexible approaches to accelerate
integration, despite the diversity of the region," he said.
ASEAN needs to show that it is able to look beyond narrow short-term
interests in the pursuit of broader strategic goals, Lee stressed.
As ASEAN grows bigger and stronger, it also strengthens cooperation with
other countries and organizations in the Asia-Pacific region as well as the
world at large.
ASEAN's cooperation with China, Japan and South Korea, under the mechanism of
"10+3" and "10+1," has helped the regional bloc raise its international status.
Besides, other issues such as energy, environment, climate change and
sustainable development will also be discussed at the upcoming 13th summit,
whose theme is "one ASEAN at the heart of dynamic Asia."