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The 15th ASEAN Summit kicked off on Friday in Hua Hin, Thailand. The summit, which carries the theme of ‘Enhancing connectivity, empowering peoples’, will be focusing on issues related to the vision of ASEAN as a Community of Connectivity, a Community of People. It will also hold discussion on the problems happening across the world including food and energy security, climate change, pandemics, natural disasters and the financial and economic crisis.
“We now formally have in place the ASEAN Charter that will make the organization truly rules-based and more effective in enforcing what has been agreed upon among Member States,” said Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at the opening ceremony of the Summit.
Mr. Vejjajiva, while addressing the inaugural event, mentioned that ‘connectivity’ is vital for a sustained growth and prosperity.
“This ASEAN Connectivity is only the first step. It needs to be linked with a larger East Asian connectivity where ASEAN will be connected to the rest of the Asia-Pacific region, bringing progress and prosperity to all,” said the Prime Minister.
