The ten member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) are exerting every effort to achieve the goal of establishingthe ASEAN Community on December 31, 2015, ASEAN Secretary General LeLuong Minh has said.
In his interview granted toVietnam News Agency correspondents in Jakarta, Indonesia, the ASEANchief shared that nearly 90 percent of the works required for theformation have been completed so far, while the remaining is withinreach as prioritised tasks have been put forth till the end of thisyear.
However, the bloc is still facing numerouschallenges in this work and in consolidating the community beyond 2015,especially in realising regional commitments.
Priority should be given to fostering the ratification of signedagreements, putting regional commitments in national strategies and lawarticles, and setting up mechanisms to support the implementation of thecommitments.
The Secretary General also stressedthe necessity for the member states to fully implement regionalagreements and commitments to attract more resources as the master planon ASEAN connectivity requires roughly 60 billion USD per year in 10years, while the bloc’s resources are limited and mainly dependent onpartners and the private sector.
Another challengefacing the bloc is the knowledge of ASEAN people of the bloc, the ASEANCommunity, and the consciousness of enterprises of the ASEAN EconomicCommunity as well as both opportunities and challenges it offers.
Therefore, it is essential to improve the awareness of the 625 million people of the common community, he added.
Regarding the post-2015 ASEAN Community Vision, the Secretary Generalsaid that during 2016-2025, ASEAN will continue its efforts to ensureSoutheast Asia is a peaceful, stable and prosperous region, and is wellconnected with other regions in the world.
The ASEANCommunity in the 2016-2025 period will be a community playing thecentral role in regional institutions, and be a positive and reliablepartner in the international arena, Minh added.
Founded in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, thePhilippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.-VNA
In his interview granted toVietnam News Agency correspondents in Jakarta, Indonesia, the ASEANchief shared that nearly 90 percent of the works required for theformation have been completed so far, while the remaining is withinreach as prioritised tasks have been put forth till the end of thisyear.
However, the bloc is still facing numerouschallenges in this work and in consolidating the community beyond 2015,especially in realising regional commitments.
Priority should be given to fostering the ratification of signedagreements, putting regional commitments in national strategies and lawarticles, and setting up mechanisms to support the implementation of thecommitments.
The Secretary General also stressedthe necessity for the member states to fully implement regionalagreements and commitments to attract more resources as the master planon ASEAN connectivity requires roughly 60 billion USD per year in 10years, while the bloc’s resources are limited and mainly dependent onpartners and the private sector.
Another challengefacing the bloc is the knowledge of ASEAN people of the bloc, the ASEANCommunity, and the consciousness of enterprises of the ASEAN EconomicCommunity as well as both opportunities and challenges it offers.
Therefore, it is essential to improve the awareness of the 625 million people of the common community, he added.
Regarding the post-2015 ASEAN Community Vision, the Secretary Generalsaid that during 2016-2025, ASEAN will continue its efforts to ensureSoutheast Asia is a peaceful, stable and prosperous region, and is wellconnected with other regions in the world.
The ASEANCommunity in the 2016-2025 period will be a community playing thecentral role in regional institutions, and be a positive and reliablepartner in the international arena, Minh added.
Founded in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, thePhilippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.-VNA
