Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Abstract

ASEAN is an acronym for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a geopolitical and economic organization of ten Southeast Asian countries. In 1967, the Association of Southeast Asia (ASA), an economic and political alliance of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand, reorganized itself as ASEAN by inviting Indonesia and Singapore as new members. The five founding countries signed the Bangkok Declaration with the aim of accelerating economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in Southeast Asia. In 1984, Brunei Darussalam, the sixth Member State, joined ASEAN, and the remaining four member states, Viet Nam, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Cambodia, joined in 1995, 1997, and 1999.