What is ASEAN ?

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations or Asean is a regional inter-governmental organisation consisting of 10 countries to facilitate and promote cooperation in trade, security, education and culture integration and exchange.  It is collectively the third-largest economy in Asia after China and Japan and the seventh-largest in the world.

 

Meetings, conferences and summits are conducted regularly at various levels with its secretariat located in Jakarta, Indonesia. Asean, which was established on August 8, 1967, comprises 10 Southeast Asian countries -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Asean is considered one of the most influential groupings in