The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should be an even more powerful vehicle for the realization of the aspirations of the people, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Saturday.[Special coverage]
Addressing the open session of the 27th ASEAN Summit, Najib, whose country holds the rotating ASEAN chair in 2015, said the aspirations of ASEAN's people include good governance, transparency, high standards of living, sustainable development, further empowerment of women and greater opportunity for all.
ASEAN has worked hard this year to make the bloc closer to the people in Southeast Asia through the advocacy of creating a truly "people-centered" ASEAN, the prime minister noted.
"Tomorrow (Sunday), we will announce the formal establishment of the ASEAN Community on Dec. 31, 2015. It is indeed an important milestone after nearly five decades of community building."
The future direction for the region in the next 10 years will also be unveiled on Sunday as the bloc adopts the Kuala Lumper Declaration on ASEAN 2025: Forging ahead together.
Najib said this ambitious document will be the basis for ASEAN to further strengthen its unity and deepen its integration over the next few years.
The Malaysian prime minister also took the opportunity to congratulate Myanmar on its landmark general election.
"Malaysia will continue to support the national reconciliation process in Myanmar which will lead to peace, stability and progress for the country as well as the region as a whole," he added.
The two-day ASEAN summit is held with the theme "Our People, Our Community, Our vision."
Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. It aims to accelerate economic growth, social progress and socio-cultural evolution among its members.
