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11th ASEAN Summit opens in Kuala Lumpur
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-12 09:00
The 11th ASEAN Summit opened here Monday amid immense challenges to the
grouping ranging from regional economic integration, security threats, disease
outbreaks, environmental concerns and high oil prices.
A major feature of the summit will be the signing of the Kuala Lumpur
Declaration on the Establishment of the ASEAN Charter, as the document will give
the grouping a legal standing and provide the ASEAN Secretary-General and the
Asean Secretariat in Jakarta more clout in decision-making.
The document is likely to stress ASEAN's adherence to the principle of
non-interference in the internal affairs of member states, and the need to
uphold non-discrimination of any of the ASEAN countries in the group's external
relations.
The charter will point towards the 10-member grouping continuing to prefer
non-aggression and exclusive reliance on peaceful means to settle differences or
disputes.
The official theme of the 11th ASEAN Summit is "One Vision, One Identity, One
Community".
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
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