ID :
364910
Sat, 04/25/2015 - 07:12
Auther :

ASEAN Leaders Need Strong Political Will To Realise ASEAN Community

KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 (Bernama) -- ASEAN leaders need to exercise strong political will and adopt an open mind towards achieving the much-awaited ASEAN Community this year, said former Thai Foreign Affairs Minister, Kasit Piromya. He said this would create a stronger, more united and cohesive ASEAN that can better manage the challenges with flexibility, and recognise the importance of adopting a balanced approach of all three pillars pursued under the ASEAN Community agenda. The Asean Community is premised on the three pillars of cooperation, namely, ASEAN Political-Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community, and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. "Inspired by this and having an ASEAN Community with its objectives and regional integration, is an laudable effort," he told Bernama. He was speaking after attending the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) Conference 2015 here Friday, in conjunction with the 26th ASEAN Summit on April 26-27 here and in Langkawi island. The conference entitled, Regional Integration in Asia: What Can We Expect from the ASEAN Community, is a platform to raise issues about the future of regional cooperation and integration. Another panelist, Demberel Sambuu, a member of Parliament of the Civil Will Green Party of Mongolia had a different take on the ASEAN Community, saying, the Community itself needed a balance of human rights, equality, business freedom, before achieving the year-end deadline. "The ASEAN Community is about friendship and community with every member state sharing in the commitment and collective responsibility towards enhancing regional peace, security and prosperity," he added. ASEAN groups Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. --BERNAMA

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