Aside from relations with other ASEAN states, Brunei also has extensive relations with the Islamic and Arab world.

French, once common in government and commerce, has declined in usage, while knowledge of English-the language of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN )-has increased in recent years.

Kuala Lumpur was the site of the first East Asia Summit in 2005, and Malaysia has chaired ASEAN, the OIC, and the NAM in the past.

While Burma's presence in ASEAN was seen as a test of the organisation's philosophy of constructive engagement, the presence of Burma in ASEAN however has started to be seen as an embarrassment to the organisation, because of Burma's human rights record and lack of democracy.

Recently, Thailand also has been an active member in the regional Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ), especially after democratic rule was restored in 1992.

It has developed increasingly close ties with other ASEAN members — Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Burma, and Vietnam — whose foreign and economic ministers hold annual meetings.

It has developed increasingly close ties with other ASEAN members — Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Burma, and Vietnam — whose foreign and economic ministers hold annual meetings.

ASEAN Free Trade Area has been established to encourage greater trade among ASEAN members.

ASEAN has also been a front runner in greater integration of Asia-Pacific region through East Asia Summits.

It has a permanent display of the work of a sculptor from each of the original ASEAN countries.

Australia has devoted particular attention to relations between developed and developing nations, with emphasis on the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ) — Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Brunei — and the island states of the South Pacific.

However, East Timor has expressed its intention of gaining observer status to ASEAN in July 2002 and in 2006 was spoken of as requiring five years to become an ASEAN member.

ASEAN on the other hand has been inviting the small nation to many of ASEAN ministerial meetings as a sign of goodwill.

Thailand has the largest plantations of the ASEAN nations, followed by Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines.

The Colombo Plan currently has 27 members, including countries in the Asia-Pacific region, non Commonwealth countries and countries belonging to regional groupings such as ASEAN ( Association of South-East Asian Nations ) and SAARC ( South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation ).

The Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City has been a venue for national and international athletic events ; such as the 23rd Southeast Asian Games men's football and the 2006 ASEAN football qualifiers.

The ASEAN Secretariat has authority to monitor and ensure compliance with AFTA measures, but has no legal authority to enforce compliance.

This has led to inconsistent rulings by ASEAN national authorities.

Again, the ASEAN Secretariat may help mediate a dispute but has no legal authority to resolve it.

Debbie Stothard of the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma stated that mining operators used drugs on employees to improve productivity, with needles shared, raising the risk of HIV infection: " These rubies are red with the blood of young people.

Debbie Stothard of the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma stated that mining operators used drugs on employees to improve productivity, with needles shared, raising the risk of HIV infection: " These rubies are red with the blood of young people.

Difficulties have sometimes arisen regarding the evidentiary proof to support the claim, as well how ASEAN national customs authorities can verify Form D submissions.

These difficulties arise because each ASEAN national customs authority interprets and implements the Form D requirements without much coordination.

Administration of AFTA is handled by the national customs and trade authorities in each ASEAN member.

This information would then be shared with all other ASEAN national customs authorities.

Although these ASEAN national customs and trade authorities coordinate among themselves, disputes can arise.

In July 2006 talks at the ASEAN Regional Forum, China, Bangladesh and Myanmar ( Burma ) agreed to construct a highway from Kunming to Chittagong through Mandalay for trade and development.

* Increase ASEAN's competitive edge as a production base in the world market through the elimination, within ASEAN, of tariffs and non-tariff barriers ; and

The ASEAN Secretariat has no legal authority to resolve such disputes, so disputes are resolved bilaterally through informal means or through dispute resolution.

According to a 2008 research brief published by the World Bank as part of its Trade Costs and Facilitation Project, ASEAN members have the potential to reap significant benefits from investments in further trade facilitation reform, due to the comprehensive tariff reform already realised through the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement.

Throughout 1982 the ASEAN states, concerned about the presence of the Vietnam People's Army ( PAVN ), in the border areas of Cambodia funneled aid and arms to the KPNLF and ANS through Singapore.

The Australian Government led the formation of the group, though some of the South East Asian countries had been working together on agricultural trade through ASEAN.

ASEAN Highway crosses through the center of Chinland settling areas of Madalay-Kalay-Tamu-Lamka / Behiang

Daejeon University has strong links with ASEAN University Network, whereby jointly through ASEAN Exchange Student Program, both institutions aim to develop interregional friendship between the Republic of Korea and South East Asian countries.

The ASEAN Single Window would allow importers to submit all information related to the transaction to be entered electronically once.

According to the plan established by ASEAN, this stretch is scheduled for completion by 2020 ; it will form part of the Singapore – Kunming Rail Link project, overseen by the ASEAN – Mekong Basin Development Cooperation ( AMBDC ).

PETRONAS went downstream for the first time in 1976, when it was chosen by the Association of South East Asian Nations ( ASEAN ) to begin construction on the second ASEAN joint industrial project, a urea plant.

The subsequent development of ASEAN almost certainly excludes any possibility of the project ever being revived.

* 1999 – Cambodia joins the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ) bringing the number of members to 10.

* 1967 – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ) is founded by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Brunei joined ASEAN on January 7, 1984, one week after resuming full independence, and gives its ASEAN membership the highest priority in its foreign relations.

The RGC is an Asian Development Bank ( ADB ) member, a member of ASEAN, also a member of the WTO.

The Javanese Majapahit Empire was arguably able to encompass much of the modern day ASEAN due to its unique mastery of bronze smithing and use of a central arsenal fed by a large number of cottage industries within the immediate region.

Suharto allowed the occupation of PDI headquarters to go on for almost a month, as attentions were also on Jakarta due to a set of high-profile ASEAN meetings scheduled to take place there.

A cornerstone of Indonesia's contemporary foreign policy is its participation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ), of which it was a founding member in 1967 with Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.

Since then, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, and Cambodia also have joined ASEAN.

While organized to promote common economic, social, and cultural goals, ASEAN acquired a security dimension after Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia in 1979 ; this aspect of ASEAN expanded with the establishment of the ASEAN Regional Forum in 1994, which comprises 22 countries, including the U. S. Indonesia's continued domestic troubles have distracted it from ASEAN matters and consequently lessened its influence within the organization.

This category includes the Council of Europe ( CoE ), European Union ( EU ), NATO, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, African Union ( AU ), Organization of American States ( OAS ), Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ), Arab League, and Union of South American Nations.

The developing countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ) regarded Japan as critical to their development.

Japan's aid to the ASEAN countries totaled US $ 1. 9 billion in Japanese fiscal year ( FY ) 1988 versus about US $ 333 million for the United States during U. S. FY 1988.