(VOVWORLD) -The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) celebrated its 57th founding anniversary on Thursday, August 8.
 A flag-hoisting ceremony is held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hanoi on August 8 to celebrate the 57th founding anniversary of ASEAN. (Photo: An Dang/VNA) |
Over the past 57 years ASEAN has become a united, strong, and dynamic regional organization that plays a central role in cooperation mechanisms and contributes significantly to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and around the globe.
The most important success of ASEAN has been to ensure peace and stability in the Southeast Asia region while its member countries have built increasingly good cooperative relationships. Differences, disagreements, and disputes are discussed and resolved on the basis of common interests.
From an initial population of 260 million, ASEAN is now home to more than 650 million people who constitute a high-potential market which is forecast to become the world’s fourth largest economy by 2050.
ASEAN’s achievements are attributable to cooperation mechanisms within the bloc and with external partners. These mechanisms include the ASEAN Regional Forum, the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting, and the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus.
ASEAN is becoming an increasingly important partner for many countries, including the world’s major powers. The US considers ASEAN central to its Indo-Pacific Strategy and attaches special importance to ASEAN’s role, said US Ambassador to ASEAN Yohannes Abraham.
“As seen in the past couple years, we’ve really manifested through an unprecedented deepening and expansion of US engagement with ASEAN that includes President Biden attending two Asian Summits and hosting a third in Washington DC last year, the Vice President Harris's recent trip to attend the Asian Summits in Jakarta just a few days ago," said Abraham, adding, "The US is deeply committed to ASEAN and that commitment is really enjoyed by strong bipartisan support.”
Since its inception in 2015, the ASEAN Community is on a path to realize its vision to 2025 and its post-2025 ASEAN Community Vision for Politics-Security, Economy, and Culture-Society.
At the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia last May, the bloc approved a roadmap to Timor-Leste’s admission as an official member, which would bring the total membership to 11.