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SINGAPORE: ASEAN leaders opened their annual summit on Tuesday and are due to sign the grouping's first charter.
ASEAN must transform itself into a more effective grouping for it to stay relevant, said summit host Singapore.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in his opening plenary remarks, also said that to make ASEAN strong and relevant, the process of regional integration must be accelerated and deepened.
The ASEAN Charter will be a crucial step in this process as it will make ASEAN a more effective and cohesive organisation with a rules-based governing framework.
ASEAN leaders will also adopt an economic blueprint which sets out specific timelines and targets for economic integration measures that will make ASEAN more competitive as a region.
Mr Lee called on ASEAN members to ratify the charter quickly so that it enters into force by the next summit in Bangkok.
He added that ASEAN leaders will strive to prevent the Myanmar issue from obstructing efforts to deepen integration and build an ASEAN community.
ASEAN leaders will also sign two environment declarations later Tuesday.
The first maps out initiatives and measures that ASEAN will undertake to address regional environmental challenges while the second reaffirms support for the UN process and the meeting in Bali in a fortnight's time.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. - CNA/ir
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