Kuala Lumpur: The 48th ASEAN foreign ministers` meet opened here on Tuesday, drawing representatives from 10 Southeast Asian countries.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is in its final stages to establish a single community by the end of 2015, which involves a plan to create a common economic, political-security and socio-cultural region, Xinhua reported.
"This will be a huge step towards making the ASEAN motto `One Vision, One Identity, One Community` a reality," said Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.
By establishing the ASEAN Community, the region is hoping to enhance its role as a global player and be more active in the international community, Najib said.
He added that an increasingly integrated ASEAN is on course to be the world`s fourth largest economy in 2050.
At the 48th meeting, the foreign ministers will focus mainly on the progress of implementing a for the ASEAN Community.
Established in 1967, ASEAN comprises 10 Southeast Asian countries, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
