ASEAN leaders meet on community building

Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries gathered here on Wednesday to discuss the establishment of an economic community by the end of 2015 and map out plans for its future development.

It is the first time that Myanmar takes the rotating ASEAN chairmanship since it joined the regional bloc in 1997.

The summit is expected to adopt a declaration for the ASEAN Community's post-2015 vision, which will serve as the basis for a comprehensive roadmap beyond 2015 for the bloc next year.

"Myanmar's chairmanship has set the stage for the ASEAN Community's post-2015 vision as well as the work on reviewing and strengthening ASEAN institutions," said ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh.

The two-day summit also includes meetings with leaders from China, South Korea, Japan, India, New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Russia.

The 10-member ASEAN, established in 1967, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Enditem