(VOVworld) - The realization of the ASEAN Community 2015 and the development of an ASEAN Community's Post-2015 Vision will be the two priorities for Malaysia as it assumes the chairmanship of the regional association beginning Thursday.

(Photo: AFP)

Director-general of the ASEAN-Malaysia National Secretariat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Datuk Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob, said the two were among eight priority areas Malaysia hoped to achieve throughout its tenureship. Speaking to Bernama news agency on Thursday, Muhammad Shahrul said as the Chair, Malaysia has immense responsibility in ensuring the implementation of the remaining action lines of the blueprints of all the three pillars - politics-security, economics and socio-culture, as well as how best to conclude the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community (2009-2015). Malaysia also look forward to steering discussions to outline the post-2015 vision which would serve as a guidance for the ASEAN Community to further prosper and grow with a higher sense of belonging as one community. Malaysia, which assumes the ASEAN chairmanship from Myanmar, will hold the two-day 26th ASEAN Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) on April 26 and 27, this year. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat, to be held at the Sutera Harbour Resort in Kota Kinabalu on Jan 27 to 28, will be the curtain raiser for a series of ministerial and related meetings under Malaysia's ASEAN chairmanship in 2015.