(VOVworld) - Senior officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathered in Kuching city, Malaysia, on Monday to discuss the implementation of the group’s commitments towards the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community by the end of this year.

Othman Hashim with Asean-Malaysia National Secretariat director-general Datuk Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakon at the press conference in Kuching (photo:theborneopost.com)

According to Othman Hashim, Secretary-General of the Malaysian Foreign Ministry, participants focused on follow-up actions to the 26th ASEAN Summit which took place last April.

The activities include an overall plan to implement ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint, the Declaration on Strengthening the ASEAN Secretariat and Reviewing the performance of ASEAN Organs. Hashim said it’s a preparation for ministerial meetings scheduled for August in Kuala Lumpur and the bloc’s summit later this year. ASEAN officials also debated regional issues such as the migration waves that several Southeast Asian nations are facing, he added.

ASEAN dialogue partners, including China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, will attend the Senior Officials Meeting plus 3, the East Asia Summit Senior Officials Meeting, and ASEAN Regional Forum Senior Officials Meeting which are taking place in Kuching on Tuesday and Wednesday.