A meeting took place in Bangkok, Thailand, on August 8 1967 with the attendance of foreign ministers of the five nations, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. After the meeting was over, the founding of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) was formally proclaimed.
It came into being in reflection of the common aspirations and desire of the peoples in this area to achieve social progress and joint development by uniting and cooperating under the idea of independence.
The socio-economic development was seriously restrained due to the colonial rule of the imperialists in the past in almost all the South East Asian countries.
After their independence, many difficulties and obstacles were laid in the way of developing the national economy and building a new society due to the unfair international economic order.
These countries realized that they would be able to solve all the problems with the strength and efforts of the region and achieve socio-economic development and common prosperity only when they expand and develop regional cooperation in the course of building a new society.
So, regional countries put forward as a strategic goal to boost economic cooperation and make this area a peaceful, free and neutral zone, free from the interference of outside forces, and have made joint efforts to this end.
Today, ASEAN plays an important role in achieving regional stability and social development as a regional organization of cooperation comprising the South East Asian nations.
Every year, the organization convenes a series of meetings to discuss different problems arising in boosting regional unity and cooperation and common prosperity of member nations.
At present, it makes positive efforts to thoroughly observe the main principle of respecting sovereignty, equality and noninterference in each other's internal affairs in order to ensure the political stability and peace in the region.
Its member nations are advancing along the road of independent development with confidence in the future and optimism.
The activities of ASEAN for regional stability, peace, social progress and prosperity will be brisker as the days go by.
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