Nay Pyi Taw: The 24th ASEAN leaders' meeting started here Sunday, an event that Myanmar President U Thein Sein described as a symbol of "unity and dedication for building a better future for the region and the people".
"It also reflects the importance that we attach to our collective and coordinated endeavours to promote peace, stability, and economic prosperity of our region, and the well-being of our people," the president said in his speech.
Themed as "Moving forward in Unity to a Peaceful and Prosperous Community", the summit is expected to review the progress towards the realisation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Community by the end of 2015 and discuss ways to overcome challenges in the process of economic integration.
Noting there are only one-and-a-half years ahead, U Thein Sein stressed it was imperative to take a comprehensive review on the implementation of the blueprints for ASEAN Community, and to ensure that the targets were fully realised in the community building process, Xinhua reported.
"We are at a critical juncture and we need to make sure that all necessary steps in community building are taken in a timely manner for the realisation of the ASEAN Community," he said.
