ASEAN Community 2015 is High on the Agenda of 22nd ASEAN Summit

(29-04-2013)

H.E. Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN shared his thoughts and briefed the diplomatic community, representatives of international organisations, and media on the highlights and outcomes of last week's 22nd ASEAN Summit in Bandar Seri Begawan, today at the ASEAN Secretariat.

SG Minh highlighted the good progress on the three ASEAN Community pillars. “The Leaders reviewed the progress made in the implementation of the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community across three Community pillars. They agreed to redouble efforts to ensure the realisation of an ASEAN Community 2015 which is politically cohesive, economically integrated, culturally harmonious and socially responsible,” said SG Minh.

SG Minh also briefed the participants on the Chair’s initiatives including visa-free travel in ASEAN countries for ASEAN nationals, ASEAN immigration lanes, an ASEAN Business Travel Card, and an ASEAN Conference on Financial Literacy in 2013.

According to SG Minh, during the Summit, the Leaders had extensive discussions on three key clusters of issues: (i) intensifying efforts to realise the ASEAN Community by 2015 and strategising for a post-2015 ASEAN agenda; (ii) enhancing ASEAN’s central role in the evolving regional architecture; and (iii) exchanging views on regional and international issues of common interest and concern. He also underlined key statements made by the Leaders—especially on regional and international issues such as South China Sea, situation in the Middle East, and developments on the Korean Peninsula.