48th ASEAN foreign ministers' meet starts in Malaysia

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.