By Park Si-soo
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has pledged to further strengthen its strategic partnership with Korea for continued peace, stability and prosperity in Asia.
The geo-political bloc of 10 Asian countries also said it’s pushing itself hard to create a new, broader community for states in the region, dubbed the ASEAN Community, by 2015.
The 10 countries are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
ASEAN-Korea relations have been “elevated to a strategic partnership” since the 13th ASEAN-Korea summit in Hanoi in October last year, said Thai Ambassador to Korea Chaiyong Satjipanon, who serves as chairman of the ASEAN Committee in Seoul (ACS), in an event held in Seoul to celebrate the 44th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN, Monday.
“This meaningful development has reflected the strong will of ASEAN and Korea to become a more comprehensive, action-oriented and forward-looking partnership,” he said.
The chairman said ASEAN countries continue to work under the motto “One vision, one identity, one community” in efforts to create the ASEAN Community in four years. The work is to realize “continued development and its contribution to peace, stability and prosperity” of the region and beyond, he underscored.
First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Park Suk-hwan said ASEAN-Korea ties have experienced a “rapid expansion” on all fronts for years, and he believes that ASEAN’s efforts to build an ASEAN Community will “bear good fruit” by the year 2015.
As of 2008, the latest statistics available, ASEAN boasted a collective GDP of nearly $1.5 trillion, and a population of more than 600 million people.
ASEAN and Korea initiated relations in 1989. In 1991, the relationship was upgraded when Korea became a full-dialogue partner with the bloc.
The multilateral relationship flourished taking on a new dynamic when in 2009, the entry into force of the Korea-ASEAN free trade agreement on service and investments took hold.
Last year, both sides adopted a joint declaration on the Korea-ASEAN Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity and its Action Plan, which covers the period of 2011-2015.