Association of South East Asian Nations

Regional alliance formed in Bangkok in 1967; it took over the non-military role of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization in 1975. Its members are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, (from 1984) Brunei, (from 1995) Vietnam, (from 1997) Laos and Myanmar, and (from 1999) Cambodia; its headquarters are in Jakarta, Indonesia. North Korea took part in the organization for the first time at the 2000 annual meeting of foreign ministers.

Member states signed an agreement in 1992 to establish an ASEAN free-trade area (AFTA) by the beginning of 2008. However, at a summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, in December 1998, it was agreed to establish AFTA by 2002 for ASEAN's longer-serving members, with 90% of products covered by free trade in 2000. Arrangements differ for those members who joined ASEAN more recently: Cambodia, which joined in April 1999, has until 2010 to fully implement the tariff-reduction programme; Laos and Myanmar, which joined in July 1997, until 2008; and Vietnam, which joined in July 1995, until 2006.

In December 1995, leaders signed a declaration prohibiting the possessions, manufacture, and acquisition of nuclear weapons in the region. At the 2000 meeting of foreign ministers, three leading officials were appointed to deal swiftly with emergencies in the Southeast Asia region.