ASEAN FMs satisfied with community building process

Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) expressed satisfactions over the ASEAN community-building process, but called for accelerated actions to complete the remaining tasks, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said here Tuesday.

The evaluation was made at the 48th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) as the 10-nation bloc is expected to realize the goal of establishing an ASEAN Community by the end of 2015.

ASEAN foreign ministers "are satisfied with the rate of implementation of the action lines in the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Blueprint" after taking stock of the progress, Anifah told a press briefing.

ASEAN's community building involves a plan to create a common economic, political-security and socio-cultural region.

The ministers also underlined the need for ASEAN member states to expedite the implementation of the remaining action lines, as the establishment of the ASEAN Community is approaching, said Anifah.

At the meeting, ASEAN foreign ministers agreed to confer sectoral dialogue partner status on Norway. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues, including the irregular movement of persons in Southeast Asia.

A series of related meetings will be held following the AMM, in which ASEAN's dialogue partners, including China and the United States, will take part and exchange views on regional issues with the bloc.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is here for the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting on Aug. 4-7. Endi