As another significant milestone in its history and the regional integration process, Dec. 31 finally witnesses the formal establishment of theASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Community. Despite the euphoria and excitement, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said in a statement on this special day that the coming into being of the ASEAN Community does not mean that it has arrived towards the end of the community building process. “In fact, this is just the beginning,” said the official.
As what the foreign minister has revealed, the set-up of the ASEAN Community is far from the completion of the regional integration process, but a fresh starting point for this journey with both opportunities and challenges lying ahead.
Declaration on the Establishment of the ASEAN Community 2015 (22 November 2015)
See also: The ASEAN Economic Community: The Force Awakens? (The Diplomat, 12 January 2016)