Laos Capable Of Ensuring 2025 Roadmap Momentum Continues To Further Integrate ASEAN - Envoy

From Nabilah Saleh VIENTIANE, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- Laos, ASEAN 2016 chair, has the strength and capability to ensure that the momentum of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 roadmap continues the integration process of the regional bloc, said Malaysian Ambassador to Laos Than Tai Hing Under its chairmanship next year, the country has the capacity to lead the 10-member bloc to strive towards strengthening further the formation of a people-centred ASEAN community, he told Malaysian reporters here. He said that when Laos takes over the chairmanship from Malaysia next year, the country was expected to focus on sustainable efforts and momentum of regional integration as agreed and outlined in the roadmap, adding that relations between Malaysia and Laos over the past 49 years have always been warm and good. The 10 ASEAN leaders inked the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Establishment of the ASEAN Community at the just-concluded ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur, under Malaysia's chairmanship. The ASEAN Community Vision 2025 was also unveiled at the summit, aimed at sustaining the momentum of regional integration and contribute towards strengthening further the ASEAN community building efforts. "Based on Laos' capability and success stories in hosting the 9th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit (ASEM9) in 2012, I have full confidence that this country can nail the job as the next chairman," he told the Malaysian reporters who are here for a four-day ASEAN Journalists' workshop on covering ASEAN's culture and traditions, which ends on Friday. Than pointed out that as next year would be also be the second time for Laos as ASEAN chair, the country would be able to perform better as a host based on its previous experience. "Laos is now aggressively preparing and improving its facilities, which include two new five-star hotels scheduled to be completed before the next summit in September," he said. Laos has chosen the theme 'Turning Vision into Reality for a Dynamic ASEAN Community' for its 2016 chairmanship. Laos was admitted as ASEAN's full member in July 1997 and was ASEAN Chair in 2004. The other ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. -- BERNAMA