Asean vows to exert more efforts to fulfil common goals

15-Feb-2013

 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Secretary General Le Luong Minh has affirmed that the association will make stronger efforts to fulfil its goals, fostering the implementation of agreements and Asean integration to successfully establish an AseanCommunity in 2015 based on three key pillars; politics-security, economics and socio-culture.

Speaking at a recent press briefing, Minh stressed Asean’s requirements, tasks and goals, as well as those of the Asean Secretariat and his own as the Secretary General, in the 2013-2017 period.

It is a significant era for the association as it includes the building of an Asean Community in 2015 and the 50 th anniversary of its establishment in 2017, the Secretary General said.

Minh said the association will prioritise improving the Asean Secretariat’s operational efficiency and capacity, strengthening its links with correlative bodies of other organisations in different regions in the world and the United Nations.

He emphasised that Asean member countries should foster cooperation with the Secretariat as well as its dialogue partners to accelerate the Asean connectivity programme, heading towards the establishment of an Asean Community by 2015.

This will make Asean a strong economic bloc integrated with the global economy to cope with common regional and global challenges, he said.

Minh added that the association will also continue to focus investement on human development and other areas such as culture, education, healthcare, environment, and food and energy security.

The Secretary General noted that the deadline to complete the goal of building an Asean Community in 2015 is getting close, therefore it is necessary for the association’s members to speed up their actions, realise agreements and decisions.

In the future, Asean may also consider adjusting and supplementing the Asean Charter in its Summits, he said.